


Of Imprinting And Such

by shadowglove88



Series: The Black Pack Series [2]
Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Alternate Universe - Imprinting, F/F, F/M, Imprinting, M/M, Male Slash, Multi, Threesome - F/F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-07-10 19:16:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 51,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7001932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowglove88/pseuds/shadowglove88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set six months after Claiming The Wolf.</p><p>When Sam tells Edward something in secret the vampire leaves Forks to find out for himself if it is true, and Jacob is left behind confused, and with only Bella as company. Why did Edward really leave? What's going on with the pack? And better yet...why is James back? What does this all have to do with Jacob's imprinting Edward?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Worries

**Author's Note:**

> This is an OLD story (written circa 2009) which I wrote after seeing the first movie, and never posted here, so I'm remedying that.

“I think I wanna become a vampire.”  
  
Jacob choked on his drink, pounding his chest with his fist before finally unblocking his airway enough for him to breathe. Once he was sure he wouldn’t suffocate, the young Native American looked up with wide brown eyes at his best friend, Bella Swan. “ _What_?”  
  
“Don’t give me that look.” Bella pouted as she leaned against the sofa in the living room. It’d been six months since Jacob had come to live with her and her father, and by now she acted as comfortably as if Jacob had been living with her all of her life.  
  
“Why would you want to be a vampire?” Jacob asked, not meanly. Sure, he _was_ a wolf shifter who'd been brought up to hate and hunt vampires, but then he’d gone and  _imprinted_ on one, so his view of the ‘Cold Ones’ had changed drastically these last months.  
  
“I’m the only one who’s gonna die,” Bella announced slowly. She’d been quiet ever since her 18th birthday a week ago, and only _now_ was she opening up to Jacob as to the reason. “I mean, you won’t age if you continue to shift----or you’ll age at a _ridiculously_ slow rate, and all my other friends are _vampires_. I’m the only measly human of the group who’ll get wrinkles and shrivel up and die.”  
  
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence.  
  
“Vanity isn’t exactly a good reason to become a vampire.” Jacob frowned at his friend, more than a little worried about her. She’d been having it rough lately. The kids at school could be fickle. They didn’t seem to have much to say about Jacob and Edward (mostly because most thought it _hot)_ , but they commented snidely about the close friendship Bella was forming with Alice and Jasper.  
  
The three had shared a steamy dance-session and a little making out a couple of months back when Jacob and Edward were only getting together, and while that was the full extent of any _intimacy_ between the three it was now big news being dug out and whispered all throughout the high school.  
  
Honestly, Jacob didn’t understand why the students were talking about it all of a sudden after ignoring the incident for months after it’d happened. Maybe it was because now that Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper had graduated from high school their group consisted of Alice, Edward, Bella and himself, and it seemed more like a couples thing—the shifter wasn’t sure.  
  
Whatever it was, he didn’t like it.  
  
He would have been able to take that treatment because his relationship with Edward, the wolf had _expected_ that sort of treatment, yet other than having the eyes of the students constantly on them, and having to live through an embarrassing sex-talk with a flabbergasted Charlie who was _sure_ Jacob was only going through a ‘phase’, the wolf really hadn’t had any problems.  
  
“Its not _vanity_.” Bella pouted, not meeting his gaze. “I’m just going to get so _old_ compared to you guys.”  
  
“This is a serious matter, Bells,” Jacob cautioned, leaning back on the sofa and placing his cup on the side table. “Think of all you’re going to be giving up. You won’t have children, you won’t be able to go out in direct sunlight---always having to live in dark and dreary places---no sunny Arizona for you anymore.”  
  
“Who needs the sun?” Bella asked stubbornly. “I’m so white I’ll probably just get sun cancer anyway.”  
  
“What about Charlie and Renee?” The wolf pressed on. “You’d have to give up on them too in some way. You wouldn’t be able to go visit your mom and Phil in Florida, and you’d never be able to tell Charlie about the truth and---.”  
  
“You gave up your family _and_ your pack.”  
  
“To be fair, they gave _me_ up.” Jacob snorted darkly, dark eyes going to the window, staring out at the rain falling.  
  
“But if they’d made you choose you would have chosen Edward.”  
  
“Eventually.” Jacob nodded slowly. “But not without a lot of fighting and denial. They probably didn’t realize it, but when they kicked me out of the pack and off the rez for imprinting on him they just made it easier for me to fall in love with him.”  
  
The young male lowered his gaze, growling slightly because he knew he was blushing. Despite having been with Edward for six months already it was still so _odd_ to say things like that out loud to other people, even if it _was_ to his best friend.  
  
“Where _is_ Edward, anyway?” Bella asked, changing the subject smoothly, obviously realizing how uncomfortable it was making him. “He’s usually never far from you.”  
  
“I’m not exactly sure.” Jacob responded, frowning. “He’s been acting _weird_ lately.”  
  
“He’s a vampire, how much weirder could he be?” Bella frowned as well. “Do you think something’s wrong? He’s not still fuming over that fight you had with the pack the other day is he?”  
  
Wincing, Jacob shrugged. He’d tried to repress the memory of what’d happened that night but now that Bella had mentioned it he couldn’t help but relive it.

  
  
\-----

  
  
_“Why is it that_ _ **every time**_ _we come to see a movie everyone picks a_ _ **horror flick**_ _?” Bella moaned as she made a face at the poster of zombies and half-naked, screaming blondes._  
  
_Mike Newton grinned while going closer to her, placing a ‘casual’ arm around her shoulders. He had yet to realize that he had no chance in hell with her. “Don’t worry Bella, I’ll sit next to you and you can hold my hand if you need to.”_  
  
_Bella raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him in silence._  
  
_Angela giggled and turned to look at Eric, who was glaring daggers at Mike, the smile quickly disappearing from her face._  
  
_Tyler was already standing in line to get popcorn, Lauren and Jessica hounding his heels._  
  
_A sigh of boredom could be heard before cold arms encircled Jacob from behind. Edward pulled the wolf back against him, leaning his chin against his chin._  
  
_While Jacob was more dominant in_ _ **other**_ _aspects of their relationship he was still somewhat submissive in the PDA department, and could sometimes still be caught blushing whenever Edward did things like this in front of others. Still, he enjoyed the feel of his mate like this, enjoyed feeling like he belonged to someone, that he was wanted by someone---even_ _ **if**_ _Edward was more than a little possessive sometimes._  
  
_“Let’s just go and watch the movie so we can go home.” Edward grumbled before shifting his face slightly and burying it in Jacob’s hair, taking in a deep, deliberate whiff of the midnight tresses as Jessica and the others returned with popcorn and sodas._  
  
_Jacob rolled his eyes at his lover. Honestly, the fact that he was_ _ **still**_ _jealous of the girl was annoying. Then again, Edward was a jealous person, but why did_ _ **Jessica**_ _of all people get him so wound up?_  
  
_It wasn’t as if Jacob had ever really given her a second thought._  
  
_“So, h-h-how have Rosalie and Emmett been enjoying their honeymoon?” Angela asked Edward with a stutter, obviously still not used to him enough to relax. “I think its great and original to pick_ _ **Africa**_ _of all places instead of somewhere like Hawaii.”_  
  
_Lauren made up her nose. “I would never go to Africa. It’s so dangerous!”_  
  
_Edward chuckled darkly. “I think the reason why they chose Africa was because it’s deadly. AND because Emmett wanted to hunt a lion.”_  
  
_Bella looked horrified that Edward had said that around the others._  
  
_“COOL!” Mike announced, totally oblivious to the tension coming from the girl he still had his arm around. “I heard that they had those kind of hunting safaris.”_  
  
_“I didn’t know Emmett hunted,” Eric stated coolly, pushing his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose._  
  
_“Oh yeah.” Edward nodded, sounding amused. “He’s a seasoned hunter.”_  
  
_Bella looked like she was going to faint._  
  
_“Ok,_ gross _.” Jessica made up her nose. “Look, the movie’s about to start. Let’s just go.”_  
  
_They’d gone to watch the movie, and in the middle Jacob had wanted more popcorn and since the vampire was more than a little bored, he had gone to get more for his boyfriend. Jacob contented himself to watching the movie until he began to realize that Edward had yet to come back, but he thought there must be a line at the stand._  
  
_It was only until he felt a jolt of unease in his stomach did he get up and stalk out of the cinema room, heading towards the concession stand. Edward was nowhere in sight._  
  
_Asking the pimple-faced girl at the concession stand about his boyfriend, he felt himself go cold with dread when she told him that a couple of ‘Rez Boys’ had come up to him and they’d all left together._  
  
_Movie and friends forgotten, Jacob took off outside, sniffing the hair, using his sharp hearing._  
  
_Sensing Edward in an alley not too far away, Jacob hurried in that direction as fast as his feet would take him without shifting. For a moment he considered shifting, but doubted that the pack would risk themselves and change in Port Angeles, and in their human shapes they were really no threat to Edward. So he only hurried his pace and took the corner, entering the dark alley._  
  
_His eyes accustomed themselves to the dark and he could see them perfectly before he rushed them and entered the group of Native American males circling a calm, yet obviously annoyed vampire._  
  
_“Jacob.” Sam Uley acknowledged him, voice oddly friendly. “How nice to see you. You look good. How has town-life been treating you?”_  
  
_“Cut the bullshit, Sam.” Jacob growled, looking at the one person responsible for his having been banished not only from the pack, but from his own home and his family. “Get the hell away from Edward._ All _of you.”_  
  
_He narrowed his dark eyes, letting everyone know that the first who made a move would get it. Letting everyone know that despite their once-friendship he’d turn on them without a second thought if they so much as touched Edward._  
  
_A cold hand went on his shoulder. “Let’s get back to the movie.”_  
  
_He turned to look unbelievingly at Edward, whose face was drawn, closed._  
  
_Edward, seeing Jacob's expression, suddenly grinned. “You don’t need to protect me, Jacob.” He threw a disgusted look at Sam and the rest of the human pack. “Not against a couple of children who only have words as their weapons.”_  
  
_“Words they might be, Cullen,” Sam sneered right back. “But they’re true nonetheless.”_  
  
_Edward’s eyes narrowed slightly._  
  
_As did Jacob’s._  
  
_What exactly had Sam said to his boyfriend?_  
  
_Edward’s hand went from Jacob’s shoulder to his hand, entwining their fingers, before walking out of the circle of predators, dragging his boyfriend with him._  
  
_“What did those bastards want?” Jacob questioned, voice a growl. “What did they say to you?”_  
  
_“Nothing important.” And yet the tension in his body and the darkness of his eyes said otherwise._  
  
_Once they were once more in front of the cinema, and Jacob couldn’t sense the others he turned to Edward. “Are you okay?”_  
  
_Edward was silent for a moment, just looking at Jacob, before dragging him to the dark side of the building and pressing him up against the wall in a frenzied kiss._  
  
_And Jacob had forgotten what he’d been asking_.

  
  
\------

  
Which, now that Jacob thought about it, had probably been the reason for the kiss in the first place.  
  
Ever since that night Edward had been acting odd. He always seemed to be busy and preoccupied with something, and the times they’d made love it’d been frantic and without the ease they usually enjoyed. Jacob had been getting more and more worried about what was bothering his vampire, as were his family, and now that he’d rethought about that night he realized that he needed to get Edward to talk about what Sam said to him that night.  
  
But what could Sam have told Edward that had him like this? Stuck in Carlisle’s study going through his most ancient of books day and night, not stopping to eat until he was _famished_ and Jacob had to drag him out to hunt before he went insane out of bloodlust?  
  
“Don’t worry, everything will be fine.” Bella smiled, reaching over and placing her hand comfortingly on Jacob’s.  
Jacob smiled and entwined their fingers.  
  
Charlie suddenly appeared, opening his mouth to say something, when he saw their entwined fingers and a large grin split his face. Despite Jacob’s _obviously_ gay relationship and the rumors about Bella’s tryst with Alice and Jasper, Charlie Swan was _still_ obviously hoping that the two teenagers would get together.  
  
Jacob had once overheard Charlie telling a friend of his that he blamed ‘those Cullen kids’ for corrupting the innocent youth of Forks. And apparently many of the parents believed the same, if the answer his friend gave him could be trusted.  
  
Bella and Jacob jerked their hands out of each others' grip.  
  
Charlie’s smile was still in place as he walked towards them and sat down next to Jacob. “No need to get all shy around me you two!” He then hugged Jacob. “Have I ever told you that you’re like a son to me?”  
  
Bella leaned back in her seat and groaned in embarrassment. “ _Dad_.”  
  
Jacob just grinned at Charlie, amused at him and his antics.  
  
Pleased that Jacob and Bella were getting ‘closer’, Charlie picked up the remote and pressed the power button, changing the channel to ESPN. The game was about to start.  
  
The teenagers exchanged grins before getting comfortable to watch the game with the happy adult.  
  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Edward stood as his eyes widened.  
  
He backed away from the desk and the book that lay open upon it, shaking his head. Not believing it.  
  
No.  
  
It couldn’t be true.  
  
_That dog_ couldn’t have been telling the truth.  
  
His back hit the wall and he looked down at his shoes, going numb all over.  
  
There had to be a mistake.  
  
If that were _true_ …  
  
No.  
  
He needed to find out.  
  
But to do that he’d have to leave Forks.  
  
Leave Jake.  
  
Closing his eyes, Edward slid down the wall and hung his head.  
  
He had to make a choice.  
  
Stay here with Jacob and always be in doubt, or leave Jake and find out for sure.  
  
Not for the first time Edward hated with all his heart the fact that he was a vampire.


	2. The Note

The game had been a big hoot. Charlie’s team had lost _horribly_  and Charlie had taken each point against them as a personal affront. He’d waved around a large styrofoam hand all around in the air, cheering on his team and booing the opposing one. And then he’d half-eaten the large hand when the timer had gone off, the game ended, and his team disgraced.  
  
Bella and Jacob (who’d been cheering for the opposing team just to annoy the adult) had had to comfort the inconsolable man and remind him that his team was _not_ eliminated from the championship and still had a chance if they won the next game. He’d cheered up considering that the next team his had been lined up to play was known for sucking _big time_ , and with that he took his half-eaten styrofoam hand with him to his bed.  
  
Probably for good luck or something.  
  
Bella and Jacob had stayed up a little later, talking about school and Mike Newton’s seemingly never ending obsession with Bella. Jacob found it amazingly amusing, while Bella couldn’t help but feel somewhat uncomfortable with the baby-faced blonde.  
  
“Well, you’re always saying that I shouldn’t be the only one with a nice guy.” Jake grinned, hugging the pillow to his chest.  
  
“Well, Mike’s a nice guy, he _is_.” Bella picked at the hem of her shirt, making up her face. “And so is Eric… _and_ Tyler.” All three of them were the only males in school who really hadn’t listened to the rumors going on about her and still liked her. A _lot_.  
  
“But,” Jacob prompted, sensing that word in there somewhere.  
  
Bella grabbed a cushion and hugged it to her chest, mimicking Jacob’s action, eyes downcast. “I kinda…I kinda think I already like someone else.”  
  
“Alice.”  
  
Bella’s brown eyes widened in shock as she jerked her gaze to Jake. “How did you--?”  
  
Jacob chuckled, shaking his head at his friend. “It was a little obvious after what you told me happened that night at Tyler’s party.” He ran lean, tanned fingers through his long, silky locks. “But I’ve also been noticing you lately at school. You like her. A _lot_.” He paused. “I just wondered if _you’d_ realized it.”  
  
Taking in a deep breath, seeming relieved to be able to talk about this, Bella nodded. “Yeah, I realized. And it sucks.”  
  
Jacob tilted his head to the side, curious.  
  
“I really like Alice.” The girl blushed, finally able to say those four words out loud. “And I really like Jasper too, but it’s not to the degree that I like Alice.” Her blush paled to nothing as she sighed. “But I’d _never_ hurt Jasper or try to get in between them.” She smiled sadly. “They have a wonderful relationship.”  
  
Silence reigned between the two young adults as they both sighed and hugged the cushions closer. They both had their own problems in their minds, and now they had the other’s as well. And they couldn’t find an answer.  
  
Of course, they didn’t know that things were only going to get more complicated soon.  
  
“What do you think Sam could have told Edward to have him acting so weird?” The young male suddenly asked. He’d been going over that question in his mind and hadn’t come up with anything plausible. For him there was _nothing_ Sam Uley could have told Edward that could have the vampire in the state he was in now.  
  
“I don’t know,” Bella admitted, seeming to prefer delving in her friend’s problem than her own. “I was wondering that myself. Edward doesn’t seem like someone who’d really _care_ about anything anyone said.” She paused. “Unless it affects his relationship with _you_.”

Jacob paused, frowning. “I think you’re right. But…” His frowned deepened. “ _What_ in the world could Sam say to Edward to affect him like this? There’s nothing he’d be able to do to get in between us or anything.”  
  
“As _if_ Edward would let him in the first place.” Bella snorted at that. “Edward would sooner tear out the throat of anyone who liked you, much less tried to get in between you two.” She grinned. “I mean, he already detests Jessica and Phoenix Jordan.”  
  
Jacob made a face at the last name. He’d known about Edward’s intense dislike of Jessica Stanley, and in some ways he could understand, the girl was a flirt. But Jacob couldn’t understand Edward’s dislike of Phoenix Jordan. The boy was in the grade below theirs, was shy, quiet, and Jacob liked him a lot.  
  
The boy with green eyes and red hair had done _nothing_ to get in Edward’s bad books, and yet somehow he had.  
  
It was one of those enigmas.  
  
“Why do you think he doesn’t like Phoenix?” Jacob queried.  
  
Bella grinned, eyes twinkling. “You honestly have no idea, do you?”  
  
And Bella did?  
  
“Um, no?”  
  
“Men.” Bella grinned. “They’re _completely_ oblivious!”  
  
Opening his mouth to ask _what_ Bella thought was so obvious, both teenagers looked up when they heard a thud coming from the direction of Jacob’s bedroom.  
  
A grin lifted Jacob’s lips as he stood. “Apparently he remembered to come tonight.”  
  
“Go on you pervert.” Bella waved him off playfully.  
  
Sending her a cheeky grin, Jacob turned and hurried up the stairs, only hesitating for a second while outside his door. He leaned his forehead against the wood and took in a deep breath, sighing, wondering how he was going to approach the subject.  
  
Edward had been off, weird, and edgy.  
  
Jacob didn’t want to get into another fight. He just wanted some answers. And he was going to get them. Tonight.  
  
Determined, he opened the door and found Edward standing by the window, looking out of it, face a blank canvas.  
  
Jacob gulped and closed the door behind him.  
  
Edward had yet to turn towards him.  
  
“So---.” But before anything else could escape Jacob’s lips Edward was in front of him, pressing him against the door, hands under his shirt,  mouth devouring his hungrily.  
  
“I love you,” Edward whispered in between the kisses as clenched fistfuls of Jacob’s hair. “I _love_ you.”  
  
“I love you too.” Jacob was worried. Edward’s voice, his hurried actions, spoke of desperation.  
  
And Jacob didn’t like it.  
  
So he closed his eyes and concentrated on the kiss, tried to convey with his lips, with his hands on the cold chest, to calm down---that everything was fine. Slowly he took control of the kiss and while it was less desperate it was still rushed.  
  
Clothes tore, breaths were loud pants, hands explored known yet desired territory. Fingernails raked over skin, backs arched, groans deepened in pleasure. The vampire was a sucker for a little pain mixed in with his bliss, something Jacob used to his advantage to force his lover to forget whatever it was that was bothering him and just _enjoy_.  
  
“ _Fuck_.”  
  
“ _Ed_ …”  
  
“I _need_ you.”  
  
“You _have_ me.”  
  
Lube was reached for, found empty, and then forgotten.  
  
A hiss resounded through the room as winter cold was melted by summer heat, silence reigning as Jacob waited for Edward to grow accustomed, calloused hand caressing a pale white thigh soothingly.  
  
And then there was movement, pained and slow, yet hips bucked and twins groans filled the night as they worshipped and claimed and enjoyed each other again and again and again, each time with more urgency.  
  
By the time Edward finally allowed Jacob to pull out of him the wolf was exhausted, both mentally and physically. He wanted to talk to Edward, to find out what was going on, but the yawn loud in the night proved that he wasn’t going to be able to do it tonight.  
  
_Tomorrow_ , he promised himself. _I’ll definitely get it out of him tomorrow_.  
  
A small smile graced his face as Edward curled into him, something he hadn’t done for a little while, resting his head against Jacob’s beating heart, closing his eyes, pretending slumber and just resting, something he would do sometimes despite the fact that neither he nor his kind slept.  
  
“I…” deep yawn. “Love you.” Jacob yawned once more, pulling Edward deeper into his embrace, enjoying the coldness contrasting against his own heat. It was comforting.  
  
“I love you too," Edward whispered.  
  
Nuzzling Edward’s hair, Jacob smiled sleepily and slightly smugly at his own scent being so engrained in the vampire.  
  
Closing his eyes, the wolf fell asleep feeling happy, sated, and content.  
  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
“What is this?” Bella asked, holding the piece of paper he’d passed her the moment he’d stormed into her room first thing that morning. She was still in her nightgown and had horrible bed hair and morning breath, and yet both ignored that fact.  
  
“Read it,” Jacob snapped, going to look out of the window, a muscle jumping in his jaw.  
  
Bella was worried.  
  
What did this slip of paper say that could have her best friend like this?  
  
With a deep intake of breath she unfolded it and began to read it out loud. “Dear Jacob, by the time you read this I will already be out of the country.” Her eyes widened as she recognized Edward’s handwriting. “ _Jacob_?”  
  
“Continue reading,” he ordered, voice deep, hurt. “It gets better.”  
  
She doubted that, but continued reading it out loud. “I am extremely sorry and ashamed for telling you it this way but if I’d looked in your face when telling you I had to go you would have found some way to convince me to stay, and I can’t.”  
  
“Can you believe him? He’s blaming _me_ for his not telling me this to my face!” Jacob muttered to himself, voice a growl.  
  
“I know that I am not giving you much explanation and that you deserve to know more, but I can’t say anything else, not for right now. I need some time.” Bella frowned in anger as she continued to read. “I won’t come back until I’ve found the answers to my questions, and I don’t know when that will be.” Her eyes widened as she read the next sentence in disbelief. “Please don’t try to contact me, I will contact you once I’m ready…” She looked up in outrage. “Is this some kind of joke?”  
  
Jacob sent her a glare.  
  
She couldn’t believe it.  
  
Bella’s body was frozen.  
  
Was she in some nightmare?  
  
The girl shook her head and finished reading the note with much trepidation. “As a favor to me my family have left the mansion for an indefinite period of time.” She paused, voice soft. “Alice and Jasper are gone too?”  
  
The harshness in Jacob’s eyes lessened at the pain she knew was in her voice as he went and sat down next to her on the bed, placing a hand on her thigh in a comforting gesture.  
  
“ _Why_?” Bella asked, her voice cracking slightly. “Why did he go? Why did _they_ go? What’s going _on_?”  
  
“I don’t _know_.” Jacob growled to himself. “I _knew_ something was off last night but I _fell asleep_.” He ran his fingers through his hair in agitation.  
  
“He _loves_ you, Jacob,” Bella whispered.  
  
“I know,” he answered, voice hurt, before standing. “I’m going to the mansion. This was a quick thing, they might have left something behind that can serve as a clue as to what the _hell_ is going on in that _idiot’s_ head.”  
  
Bella stumbled to her feet rapidly. “I’ll come with you.”  
  
“No.” Jacob shook his head, already heading towards the door. “You stay here and try to get into contact with Alice or Jasper, they might answer you.”  
  
The brunette nodded, watching her best friend as he tore out of her room and hurried down the stairs. She waited until she heard his motorcycle roaring to life outside and speeding away before reaching for her cellular and looking at it in silence.  
  
Bella was nervous.  
  
What if Alice and Jasper ignored her?  
  
_Have some backbone, Isabella_.  
  
Nodding to herself, she entered Alice’s number and pressed _send_ , placing the phone to her ear and waiting.  
  
It rang once.  
  
It rang twice.  
  
“Bella.” Alice’s voice was warm and welcoming. “I was waiting on your call.”  
  
Clearing her voice nervously, Bella pulled a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Are you guys really gone?”  
  
Alice sighed. “I can’t tell you anything, Bella. Edward is my brother and what he told us was told in confidence.”  
  
“So Jake doesn’t deserve to know _why_ the guy he imprinted on, his _boyfriend_ , dumped him by a _letter_?” Bella snapped, angry on Jacob’s behalf. Plus, she was a little disappointed. She’d thought Alice would be a little more sympathetic to Jacob’s feelings than that.  
  
“Dumped?” Alice sounded confused. “Why would you think Edward dumped him? Edward didn’t _dump_ him.”  
  
“He left and all his excuses are on a piece of _paper_ , Alice.” Bella narrowed her eyes. “What else do you call it?”  
  
“Explanations.”  
  
“Explanations?” Bella parroted, incredulous as she stood and snorted in disgust. “Alice! He didn’t explain _anything_! He just said he was leaving the country, didn’t know when he was coming back, and for Jacob to not contact him! How is that _not_ dumping him?”  
  
“Bella, I’m sorry.” And Alice truly sounded sorry. “But I can’t say anything else more than that Edward loves Jacob and he didn’t _dump_ him.”  
  
“A lot of  good that is going to do for my best friend’s broken heart!” Bella sniffled, feeling angry and sad all at once.  
  
“Bella, I---.”  
  
“I have to go. Tell Jasper I said hi.” And with that she cut off the phone and collapsed on her bed with a little whimper.  
  
Everything had just gone to hell.  
  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Considering how bad her luck had been lately, she wasn’t really surprised when the day she’d finally decided to bite her pride and ask the Cullens for help they were gone. And if the lack of clothes and cars had anything to say about it, they weren’t planning on coming back…at least not for a long time.  
  
_Great_.  
  
She leaned her hip against a tree as she looked at the admittedly beautiful house. She really liked it, the Cullens had taste…but that wasn’t the issue, was it?  
  
She needed help.  
  
She needed it _now_.  
  
And she was known for her beauty, _not_ for her patience.  
  
She growled, blowing at a red curl.  
  
That was when the sound of a motorcycle caught her attention and she hid deeper in the trees, wondering if a stray Cullen had returned. But no, the smell that reached her nose when the handsome man parked and pulled off his helmet wasn’t that of a vampire.  
  
It wasn’t a smell she’d ever smelt before, but it was _good_. It was _really_ good.  
  
Her eyes widened.  
  
Was _this_ ‘him’?  
  
Peering at him closer, she narrowed her eyes as she surveyed him. He wasn’t too bad at all. Handsome, great hair, drool-worthy physique…she was suddenly able to understand things a little better now.  
  
He got into the mansion with a key in his pocket, which only confirmed her suspicions. Only _he_ , the lover of the one called Edward Cullen, would have a key to the place.  
  
Then again, the Cullens were vampires and vampires weren’t exactly afraid of their houses getting broken into.  
  
But still, he had his own key, so that meant that they’d been trying to show him he was a part of their family.  
  
Yeah.  
  
This had to be the famed Jacob Black.  
  
_I wonder why they’d leave him behind?_ She tapped a fingernail to her lip and then looked up when she heard something breaking up stairs.  
  
Probably something in Edward’s room.  
  
She smirked.  
  
Lover’s tiff?  
  
This sounded _juicy_.  
  
Still, she straightened and got out from behind the trees, making sure she looked presentable.  
  
Her luck was apparently taking a turn for the better. Jacob Black was _exactly_ the thing she needed.  
  
He exited the home, slamming the door behind him, before freezing. His dark gaze zeroed in on her immediately, and for a second he seemed ready to shift, to attack. But then something he saw made him stop.  
  
A confused expression crossed his face as he slowly made his way towards her.  
  
“Your eyes are golden.”  
  
She winced at the reminder of how _low_ she’d been brought.  
  
“And _you’re_ Jacob Black, right?” She spoke, that hint of sensuality always present in her tone.  
  
He seemed wary but nodded. “Yes, I am.”  
  
“Good, I’ve been looking for you.” She folded her arms over her chest to show that she wasn’t here for a fight. _At all_. Her golden eyes met his brown ones and she took in a deep breath before continuing. “My name is Victoria.” Here went nothing. “And I need your help.”

 


	3. Victoria

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2009's Chapter Note:
> 
> I am proud of this chapter for some reason. I'm bringing Victoria and James into this story in a way that's going to surprise my readers, and I'm anxious to hear what they think about it.
> 
> Remember the Twilight characters in this story are different from their versions in the series (Edward and Jacob are together for crying out loud). Everything is AU - even some personalities... just a warning.

Jacob eyed the vampiress warily. His body was tense, and yet the wolf didn’t sense danger. Ever since he’d imprinted on Edward Jacob had found his wolf more tolerant around other bloodsuckers (especially around the Cullens), but when a female vampire had appeared in Forks a month before his wolf had told him to kill her, she was trouble. The pack had killed the vampiress and ended the killings that’d begun with her arrival, Jacob’s wolf calming down once more.

A lot of time the werewolf couldn’t believe how much the inner wolf had grown to accept the Cullens. Sure, it was always a little cautious and alert while around them, especially if Jacob was alone in their house with only vampires as companions, but he knew somehow that they didn’t want his harm.

And that was the same feeling he was getting from this lone female with the golden eyes that betrayed the fact that she’d been living on an animal diet for at least three months if the purity of that gold had anything to say about it. She also smelled of the forest, which meant that she’d been in  _Forks_  for those three months and she hadn’t attacked one person yet.

And so while Jacob was wary of her and how she knew his name, he was intrigued as well.

“How do you know who I am?” Jacob finally asked, folding his arms over his chest, too curious to just get on his motorcycle and leave her. Also, there was something about her scent that seemed familiar to him, something that his wolf was picking up. It nagged at his memory but without eliciting an image to go along with the feeling.

She took in a deep breath, pulling back a red curl from her freckled and extremely attractive face. “Around half a year ago you met my brother, James. We---we came here, tried out the population a little, and then James forced us to leave after meeting  _you_.”

And suddenly Jacob remembered meeting the blonde male vampire outside of the mall in Port Angeles.  _That_  was the scent that teased his nostrils.

“But my brother didn’t leave here.” The vampiress, Victoria, leaned a generous hip against one of the trees and sighed, red curls dancing in the wind around her, the sunlight catching each tendril and making it look like a tongue of fire.

Jacob was silent, waiting for her to continue. For whatever reason the wolf believed her, and was intrigued as to why this vampire, who’d admitted to feeding on humans here, had changed her diet and hidden out in the forests of Forks for so long.

And why did she think  _he_  could help her?

Why did she think he  _would_?

He was a werewolf and she was a vampire, and the Cullens were really the only vampires whom he didn’t want exterminated.

“When my brother finally returned, he was  _different_.” Victoria spoke slowly, obviously bothered by this fact. “He---I don’t understand what it was that happened here to do it but he wasn’t the same vampire I knew. And Laurent took advantage of that.” She snarled, angry. “James was nearly killed in the revolt, I only barely got him away.”

The wolf tilted his head slightly. So apparently one of the underlings of the coven had taken advantage of James’ change and started a mutiny within the ranks. He was surprised that Victoria had risked her life protecting James. The Cullens were really the only vampires Jacob had ever seen to still have that humanity in them, that loyalty.

For some reason, against his own better judgment, he was drawn towards this story, and the female vampire telling it.

Maybe it was pity.

Maybe it was sympathy.

Maybe it was understanding.

Her coven had turned against her, his pack had turned against him.

“He wouldn’t let me bring him anywhere but here.” She made up her nose in disgust as she looked all around her. “Sure, we’ve been safe, but…  _Here_?” She sighed before turning her attention back on him. “My brother healed physically, but there’s something  _wrong_  with him. And I need your help.”

“I still don’t understand why you think you need  _my_  help,” the wolf admitted, frowning.

“Because its all  _your_  fault!” Victoria snapped, before calming and taking in a deeper breath. “Whatever happened to him while he was here, it had to do with  _you_.”

Jacob blinked, confused.

“All he would talk about was your scent and something about smoked honey or something. It wasn’t understandable.” Victoria was obviously having a hard time keeping the impatience, anger and desperation out of her voice.

Jacob’s eyes widened.

Smoked honey?

Didn’t Edward usually say that that was the scent he associated Jacob’s with? And only  _Edward_  could smell that scent…it was also covering  _Edward_  because of Jacob…

But James could smell it too?

Jacob had thought it was the distinct smell only those imprinted could smell…but if James had also been able to smell it then it was something else altogether. Why could only Edward and James smell it though?

Once more Jacob was annoyed at how little he knew about his connection with Edward.

“Why haven’t you attacked anyone?” Even Jacob was surprised by his question.

Victoria snorted. “Are you joking? We’re trying to  _hide_  our presence,  _not_  announce it!” She tapped her feet impatiently. “We’ve been living off of the forest animals. The first month was  _torture_ , and because it lacks the healing power human blood has it took longer for James to physically heal, but…” she paused, looking thoughtful, as if she truly hadn’t thought of this before. “You get used to it after a couple of months of not ingesting human blood.”

Why was his wolf not telling him to attack? Why was it dormant? Trusting?

Jacob frowned. “Why are you here at the Cullens?”

Victoria made a face. “I couldn’t leave James for the first couple of months other than to hunt, but he’s not getting any better. If anything he seems to be getting worse. I don’t know where you live, but I knew that the Cullens lived around here so I came to find them to ask them for help but the house was like  _this_  when I arrived.” She paused. “As you can imagine, I wasn’t very happy.”

“You’re not the only one.” And he didn’t know why he’d told her that. “The Cullens are all gone for an ‘indefinite period of time’.” He sneered at the reminder. “I don’t see how I can help your brother. Or why I  _should_.”

“You  _have_  to!” Victoria snapped.

“No.” He reached for his helmet. “I  _don’t_.” He turned his back on her, despite all his training in the pack, and got ready to mount his motorcycle.

“ _Please_.”

He stopped at the sound of the pleading in that voice. Turning around, helmet still in hand, he watched as she fought with her own pride before breathing in deeply and looking at him beseechingly.

“ _Please_ , Jacob Black.” Victoria the vampire hung her head submissively, looking ashamed at how low she’d been brought. “It  _kills_  me to beg a dog, but I’m doing it.  _Please_ , at least come to see him.  _Please_.”

And he was surprised to realize that he  _wanted_  to.

“How do I know that this isn’t a trick? A trap?” It was a valid question.

She looked desperate and disgusted. “It  _isn’t_!”

And he believed her.

And the fact that he  _did_  disturbed him.

There was a moment’s silence as wolf and vampiress looked at each other intently, and Jacob snorted and put on his helmet. “Get in front.” He ordered, motioning to his motorcycle. “I don’t trust you riding behind me.”

She blinked.

“I see you even  _blink_  oddly and I’ll tear you to pieces,” he promised in a dark, deadly voice, before throwing her his helmet.

A slow smile curved her lips as she put it over her head and adjusted the straps in a mocking, yet amused gesture. “I’d have been disappointed in you had it been any other way.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bella had bathed and eaten breakfast, not exactly sure what to do, when her cellular began to ring. She looked down at the number and hesitated, wanting to answer and yet…

Taking in a deep breath Bella answered. “If you even so much as  _think_  about altering my emotions I’ll never speak to you again.”

There was a pause, and then Jasper’s voice reached her ears. “Agreed.” He could be heard clearing his throat. “Alice told me about your conversation this morning.”

What was there to say about that? “It’s unfair what you’re  _all_  doing to Jacob.”

“Why hasn’t  _he_  tried calling?” The question was asked.

“Because your idiotic brother told him not to,” Bella replied, standing up, feeling a growl in her throat. “You wanna tell me how he can say things like that and it  _not_  be a breakup?”

“No.” Jasper surprised her. “Edward royally screwed up.”

Bella froze, eyes wide. “You’re---you’re admitting that?”

“Of course.” The southern gentleman announced. “But while I don’t agree with the methods he’s using, I understand what he’s doing right now, and I respect his wishes. We all do.” He paused, regrouping. “Edward has a big issue on his hands, and while I cannot tell you what it is due to my having given my word to my brother, I  _can_  tell you to get Jacob to talk to Sam Uley. He’ll get it out of  _him_.”

The human was silent for a moment, pulling a strand behind her ear. “ _Thank you_ , Jazz. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

He sounded like he was grinning. “You feeling better now?”

“Yes.” She admitted, smiling, gaze ducked.

“See? I didn’t even  _have_  to use my powers.” And he sounded quite smug at that.

A giggle escaped her lips.

“I gotta go now. There’s something I have to do.” Jasper announced. “Just---get Jacob to go talk to that dog. Okay? It’ll clear up a  _lot_  of things and he’ll be able to understand the situation a  _lot_  better.”

“Okay, sure, I will.” Bella nodded. “And thank you, again.”

“No prob, Bell.” And with that he hung up the phone.

Pulling the cellular away from her ear, Bella smiled at her cellular before trying Jacob’s number. It rung out and she left a message telling him about what Jasper had said.

“Well, that’s all I can do.”

Her phone rang and the brunette frowned, disappointed when the caller I.D. showed that it was Mike.

Looking around as if expecting someone to be watching her, she muted the ringtone and left the vibrating Nokia on the table as she exited the kitchen.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He’d followed her directions, all the time wary and watching her like a hawk. His inner wolf was in tune with the forest, feeling out for other presences, signs of deception, of a trap, and yet he could sense nothing dangerous.

Victoria’s directions led him towards a large waterfall, and next to it, nearly hidden in the overgrown foliage and mist, was a small hunting cabin.

Parking in front of it, Jacob dismounted the motorcycle and with his inner’s wolf’s help sensed the whole place, only finding another leech scent in the run down place, and the scent was weak.

Apparently the female  _had_  been telling him the truth. And if not, if this  _were_  a trap, he could easily shift and rip  _both_ of them apart, even if he  _was_  outnumbered.

“He’s in there.” Victoria’s golden eyes were disgusted as they raked over the hunting cabin, which was nearly falling apart. “Oh how low the mighty---and beautiful---have fallen.”

Jacob had to forcefully keep his lips from curling in a grin at that.

“Follow me.” With a sigh, Victoria opened the door and entered the darkness.

Annoyed with himself for  _still_  not feeling as wary as he should about this whole situation, Jacob followed, eyes growing accustomed to the darkness to see Victoria kneeling in front of a mass in the darkest corner of the room. The person seated on the floor hugging his knees to his chest was far from the vampire that Jacob remembered.

The difference in James shocked Jacob into stumbling.

In the mall in Port Angeles James had been well groomed, with a mischievous glint in his red eyes, and yet now the golden eyed blonde was dirty and smelt,  _badly_ , from not having bathed in a long time.

“James?” Victoria’s voice had softened, like she was talking to a small child, or a wounded animal. “James? It’s me, Victoria.” Getting no reaction from her brother she took in a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment before trying once more. “Look. I brought  _him_  with me. Jacob. The dog.”

Nothing.

James didn’t even raise his gaze from where they were looking unseeingly at his bare, dirty feet.

“ _Jamsey_.” Victoria placed a hand on his shoulder. “I brought him. Now what? Aren’t you even going to look at him? I  _begged_  him. Show some appreciation.”

He wasn’t even breathing.

Vampires didn’t  _need_  to breath, but they preferred to do so so that they could retain the valuable asset of  _smelling_. And James was a  _tracker_ , the use of scent was  _vital_  for him.

Jacob’s eyes narrowed when he noticed something resting around the blonde vampire’s neck. “Wait a second.” He found his feet taking him towards the vampires. “That’s my necklace! I thought I’d  _lost_  it!”

The chain and the wolf totem stared back at him from around James’ neck.

“Huh?” Victoria looked up at him in confusion before she saw what he was looking at and understood. “Really? I didn’t know.” She turned back to her brother. “Something you want to tell me?”

Jacob bent down in front of the vampire, on the side of Victoria, eyeing both warily. He found his gaze going to  _his_ necklace on James, not exactly sure how he felt about that.

He reached forwards, cautiously, before wrapping his tanned fingers around the totem,  _his_  totem.

Victoria gasped.

Jacob’s gaze went to her and then followed hers to James, blinking to realize that the blonde’s golden gaze had risen from his own feet and were on Jacob’s face.

“How did you get this?” He asked, slowly, wondering if the vampire could understand him.

Nothing.

James just looked at him, tilting his head to the side slightly.

With a sigh Jacob let the totem slip through his fingers and began to pull back when James’ hand shot out like lightning and clasped around Jacob’s wrist. It wasn’t a restraining, painful hold, but it was secure.

The young native narrowed his eyes slightly at the whimpering sound James made. He turned to Victoria for a translation.

“Don’t look at me,” she mumbled.

Huffing at her uselessness, Jacob returned his attention to James, who was whimpering once more like a frightened animal.

His wolf was responding.

And that unnerved him.

“What do you  _want_?” Jacob asked, willing the blonde to talk.

And James only managed to make those animalistic sounds.

Sighing, Jacob stood, sliding his hand out of James’ grip, ignoring how the sounds intensified. He turned his back on the siblings and walked out of the hunting cabin, destination his bike.

“Hey!” Victoria stormed out after him. “What are you doing? You got a  _reaction_  out of him! Where are you  _going_?”

“I came. I saw.” Jacob put on his helmet. “Now I’m out.”

“You can’t go.” Victoria placed herself in front of the motorcycle. “You just can’t  _leave_!”

“What do you expect me to do?” Jacob snapped, agitated, confused.

“Help us.” She replied desperately. “ _Protect_  us.”

“Help?” Jacob couldn’t believe he was hearing this. “ _Protect_?”

“They’re going to come looking for us.” Victoria hurried to explain. “They’ll know that once James gets strong he’ll massacre them for what they did and they’ll want to hurt him while he’s still vulnerable. They’re probably looking for us as we speak.” Her voice broke as she said the next sentence. “I can’t protect us alone.”

Jacob was confused and further agitated by the desire to protect them. “Why  _should_  I help you?” It was a valid question. “You’re vampires. I’m a werewolf.”

“I don’t care  _why_  you do it as long as you do!” She snapped. “Do it to piss the Cullens for leaving you behind! Do it to piss the pack that abandoned you when you imprinted on a vampire! I don’t care why! Just  _do it_!”

He was silent, looking at her, before starting the engine. “Sorry.” And with that he sped away, leaving her screaming at him, wondering why he felt the wolf snarl in displeasure.

 _I’m supposed to kill vampires, not_ _ **save**_ _them,_  he told his inner creature.

It just snarled at him.

When he was once more on the path, he stopped and checked his phone, noticing that he had a voicemail from Bella.

Listening to the message, he paused for a moment before changing direction.

It was time to go back to the Rez.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“How is she?” Alice asked as she looked up at Jasper when he sat down next to her. He’d gone to the bathroom to talk to Bella in private, and now had returned to sitting next to her in the airport. Their plane was just about to board, but Alice hadn’t wanted them to wait until they landed to make the peace with the human.

“She’s fine.” Jasper smiled at her, slinging an arm around her shoulder and giving her a little squeeze. “And I didn’t influence her in any way.”

“Did she say to say hi to me?” Alice asked, still worried.

“No.” He admitted. “But she  _was_  giggling when I hung up the phone.”

“Great.” Alice groaned, resting her head heavily against him. “So she’s made her peace with  _you_  but she’s still mad with  _me_.” The petite vampiress pouted. “Stupid Edward.”

Jasper chuckled at that before hugging her closer. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

“Says the one she’s not angry with.” She was  _still_  pouting.

“Why don’t you call her when we land?” Jasper asked. “It’ll have given her enough time to cool down if she  _is_  angry with you.”

“You think?” Alice whispered.

“Yeah.” Kissing the top of her head, Jasper looked up as their flight was announced to be accepting first class flyers. “That’s us.”

Sighing, Alice grabbed her bag, grabbed his hand, and sighed as they joined the short line. “Stupid Edward. I don’t even  _like_  Singapore.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sam had been expecting him.

“Long time no see, Jacob,” the older boy announced, smiling at him.

Jacob narrowed his eyes. “What did you tell him?”

Sam paused for a moment, eyeing Jacob seriously. “The truth.”

“What truth?” His nerves were raw and he didn’t have the patience for this.

“Did you really think we wouldn’t research this?” Sam answered his question with another question, looking surprised. “Jacob, you’re the son of our last Alpha,  _you’re_  our true Alpha. You think we’d just content ourselves to knowing that you’d somehow imprinted on a  _leech?_  On our mortal  _enemy_?”

“You threw me out.”

“Didn’t want to.” Sam ran his fingers through his hair. “But it was necessary. You couldn’t be a part of the pack, not when you were with the enemy.”

“I’m still with him.” Jacob snapped. “This isn’t me crawling back to the pack. This is me,  _fucking furious_ , wanting to know what you told Edward that would make him escape into the  _fucking night_  on some sort of personal quest.”

“I don’t remember you cursing so much before.” Sam announced.

“Things change.” Jacob snapped.

“Yes, they do.” A sigh escaped Sam’s lips before he scratched the side of his eye. “Jacob, have you noticed something  _odd_  about your imprinting?”

The young wolf frowned at the odd question. “I imprinted on a  _vampire_.  _Yes_ , I  _have_  noticed something  _odd_  about it.”

Sam’s lips curled in an amused smile before he went serious once more. “Well, you didn’t.”

“Didn’t  _what_?” Jacob was ready to grab Sam by his throat and pin him to the wall.

“You  _didn’t_  imprint on him… _not_  in the technical sense of it.” Sam looked tired,  _very_  tired.

Jacob was frozen. Shocked. Not exactly sure what he was hearing. “No. That---that’s not true. I—I have all the symptoms, the first time I saw him----my feelings---.”

“Calm down, Jacob. I’m going to try to explain this to you the best I can but you’re going to have to be patient with me.” Sam smiled sheepishly. “I’m kinda new to all this information myself.”

Taking a couple of steps back, Jacob nodded for the older boy to continue.

“Jacob, you’re  _special_ , I’ve always known that. I just hadn’t exactly figured out how much. Granted, I still don’t know much, but I know you’re special.” There was a pause, and then he continued. “You didn’t  _imprint_  in the purest sense of the word. Your Instinct, your wolf, it---for loss of a better explanation---is a very strong, very dominant, very  _ancient_  creature.”

“I already know this.” Jacob growled. “You’re not telling me anything new. The creature in  _all of us_  is strong and dominant and ancient.”

“But yours----yours is a different breed altogether!” Sam exclaimed, visibly bothered by this. “It  _bonded_  with a  _leech_ , Jacob. You’re an _Alpha_ , you’re meant to lead a pack whether you want to or not, and your wolf found a  _leech_  to be a suitable partner. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“No.”

Sam growled. “Jacob. I’ve only been able to learn of this happening once before. A female wolf thought she’d imprinted on a female vampire---.”

“I know this story,” Jacob interrupted. Sam  _still_  wasn’t telling him anything! “Carlisle told me about it when I went to him with questions.”

“The leech knew about this?” Sam looked put out at that knowledge before shaking his head. “Well, you know the ending of the story then.”

“They die.” Jacob nodded.

“Kill each other.” Sam corrected.

“You really think someone who had imprinted would kill their imprintee?” Jacob sneered.

“But they didn’t imprint! Jacob,  _listen_  to me!” Sam announced, coming forwards and placing his hands on the younger male’s shoulders. “You did  _not_  imprint on the leech. Your wolf only has temporarily chosen the strongest person around. If someone stronger appeared the wolf would forget the leech and choose the other person, be he or she a human, wolf, leech, fairy--- _whatever_!”

Jacob shook his head, not believing that his inner wolf would be that fickle.

“ _That’s_  what happened to the other couple that this happened to.” Sam’s face was serious, and a little sad. “The girl’s inner wolf found another person more worthy and the leech couldn’t let go,  _wouldn’t_  let go.”

“You’re lying.” Jacob whispered, shocked at this news.

“For your sake, I wish that I were,” Sam whispered back, sadness in his eyes. “Come back to the pack, Jake. Cullen understood what was going on and he left, he understood you will only hurt each other. Just---come back to us. You’ll soon find someone else and the leech will be a part of your past.”

_I don’t_ _**want** _ _him to be._

Jacob hung his head, somehow knowing that Sam was telling him the truth.

_I_ _**love** _ _him._

And deep down inside, Edward had known the truth as well.  _That_  was why he’d been so desperate last night and why he’d left.

Because he’d  _believed_.

And he’d only believe it if he’d found some evidence to prove Sam’s words.

“I’m not coming back to the pack.” Jacob pulled away from Sam, surprised by his own words. “I wont be a part of a ‘family’ that banishes people when they need their loved ones the most.”

Sam looked sad. “Think it over, Jacob. The invitation is always open.” He shucked his hands into his pants pockets. “You’re a wolf. Nothing will ever change that. And every wolf needs its pack.”

Jacob was silent before turning. “Then maybe it’s time I started my own.” And with that he walked away, got onto his motorcycle and sped away.

He hadn’t paid attention to where he was going. He sped at an insane speed for hours until the sky was black as ink, with only a few stars lighting the earth.

The wolf was angry, hurt, betrayed, pissed…so many things combined.

Jacob himself felt numb. He was most probably in shock, and had ignored numerous phone calls from Bella. He’d needed to be alone. He’d needed time to think about his situation. He’d needed to make decisions.

_Edward…_

Edward should have stayed.

He should have  _told_  Jacob the truth.

He should have  _trusted_  him more than he obviously did.

But no, he  _hadn’t_.

He’d left in the middle of the night like some criminal.

Without even a goodbye.

Parking, Jacob somehow wasn’t surprised to realize where he’d ended up.

“You came back,” Victoria announced from where she leaned in the doorway.

“Listen to me because I’m only going to say this  _once_.” Jacob’s voice was steel, his eyes dark, serious. “You and your brother will listen to and obey  _me_  and  _anything_  I say. I’m the Alpha of this pack. You do anything to disobey my rules and you’re on your own.”

“Rules.” Victoria chewed out the word with distaste. “What  _rules_?”

“I don’t have them all right now,” Jacob responded truthfully. “But the first and foremost is  _this:_  You’re sticking to your current diet. If I so much as see a  _speck_  of red in  _either_  of your eyes and your friends won’t have to do anything. I’ll tear you apart  _personally_. Do understand me?”

Victoria eyed him silently, a war battling openly on her face, before finally nodding. “I understand.”

“Good.” Jacob nodded, eyes going to the rotting place they were staying in. “Can he move?”

“Ability? Yes. But ask me if he  _will_  move.” Victoria made a face. “I have to bring him his food. He doesn’t  _move_  from that blasted corner.”

“That poses a problem.”

“Why?” Victoria asked.

“Because you two are moving out of here.” Jacob announced. “This place is unsafe and uneasily guarded. You’re moving to the Cullen’s home.”

“Won’t they mind?” Victoria asked, genuinely confused.

“They’re gone for an ‘indefinite period of time’, remember?” Jacob’s face was emotionless as he started his engine once more. “Tomorrow I’ll come back with my friend’s truck. We’ll load him into that and take him to the house.”

“Why?”

Jacob stopped, having been about to ride away. “Why what?”

“Why---why did you change your mind?” Victoria asked warily. “Why are you helping us?”

He was silent for a moment, before brown eyes met golden. “Does it really matter?”

“Yeah. It does.”

The wolf sighed, looking at the trees. “People have made too many choices in my life for me. It’s time I started making some of my own.” His gaze swung back to her. “Is that a satisfying enough answer for you?”

Victoria was silent for a moment, eyeing him warily, before her lips slowly curled into a smile and she nodded. “Yeah. It is.”

“Remember the rule,” Jacob warned darkly before speeding away, wondering if he was making the right choice, and not really caring.

Zooming through the trees, he wondered what Edward was doing at that very moment---and if it was always going to hurt him this much to think of his bronze-haired vampire.

_Edward---you_ _**idiot** _ _._

He shook his head.

_I miss you already._


	4. The Makings of a Ragtag Pack

“You did  _what_?” Bella gasped, eyes wide and on her best friend the next morning. She’d spent the whole day yesterday worried about him, especially when he hadn’t returned home by the time she’d gone to bed and hadn’t answered any of her phone calls.

“I know.” Jacob played with his cereal despondently. “I don’t know  _why_  I decided to help them, but I feel like it was the right thing to do.”

Bella blinked, the sound of Sunday morning cartoons blaring in the background. “So you decided to take in and take care of two unfamiliar vampires? No, no. You decided to take care of two of the vampires that caused the  _killings_  here eight months ago?”

“Yes.” He nodded, pointblank.

Bella blinked. “I want to meet them.”

The Native American male turned to her in shock. “ _No_.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “If you don’t let me come along with you I won’t lend you my truck.”

“ _Hells Bells_.” Jacob groaned, closing his eyes in an effort to keep his patience. “I’m not excluding you from a friendly picnic! I’m going to be transporting two unfamiliar, dangerous, and unstable  _vampires_.”

“In  _my_  truck.” Bella wasn’t backing down on this.

“Isabella---.”

“ _Don’t_  say my full name.” She growled, eyes narrowing dangerously. “And I’m  _coming_. Anyway, you got their promise not to eat anyone anymore, right?”

“But I don’t  _trust_  them! They’re unstable and  _carnivorous_!” Jacob was trying to get that point across to her. “I wouldn’t be able to let you out of my sight for a second and I will  _need_  to do  _just that_  to do what must be done today.”

“Jake, they  _need_  your help.” Bella stood, leaning with her palms against the surface of the table. “They won’t do  _anything_  to turn you against them. It’s just common sense.”

“We’re talking about vampires.”

“Jacob, I’m going.  _Final_.” Bella replied before smiling. “And  _yes_ , I won’t tell Alice or Jasper about this if they call again. It’s what they get for leaving.”

Jacob suddenly chuckled, shaking his head at her. “What am I going to do with you? Hells Bells?”

“Obey and cherish?” The brunette asked, smiling mock-innocently.

“If something happens to you…” Jacob frowned, going serious once more.

“I’ll be  _fine_.” Bella smiled lovingly at her best friend. “And anyway, you're  _crazy_  if you really thought you could start some ragtag pack and  _not_  include  _me_.”

The wolf raised a black eyebrow. “They are  _not_  my pack. I just said that to get her to understand the dynamics of this odd relationship.”

“Jake. You’re the Alpha (you said so yourself), you’re protecting them, providing them with a place to stay and food. They have agreed to obey you and your every rule.” Bella counted the points on her short, feminine fingers. “This is  _so_  a pack.”

Opening his mouth the young man frowned and closed it back when he realized that she had made a sound point. “Fuck.”

“No matter what  _your_  feelings on the subject are, you’re an Alpha, you were  _made_  to lead a pack.” Bella sat back down. “Maybe your wolf got tired of leaving you the memos you constantly shredded and decided to give you a push in the desired direction?”

This was all eerily convincing.

“Since when did you get smart?” He joked weakly.

“I watch a lot of Oprah,” Bella answered in mock seriousness.

Jacob sighed, bowing his head. “I must be insane for even considering this.”

Bella’s face lit with a smile and she was on her feet in a second before he had time to be smart and change his mind. “I’m going to go get my jacket!” And with that she raced out of the kitchen.

The wolf sighed as he watched her go. She was trying to be brave about Alice and Jasper leaving, and while she’d made somewhat peace with them the strain was still visibly there. She needed this distraction from her problems just as much as he did---but she was in danger, unlike  _him_.

“How am I going to protect you if you have absolutely  _no_  sense of self preservation?” He asked the empty seat across from him.

The silence was his only answer.

He sighed and leaned his head against the table.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hugging herself, Victoria tore her gaze from the dirt-stained window and turned to look at her brother. She hated to see  _her brother_  brought this low. James had always been the strong one, always had taken care of her (despite complaining the whole while) while alive and undead.

It was her turn to take care of him, and she didn’t really mind. There were only two problems. One was that she wasn’t strong enough to take care of them both, and two, it hurt her even more than the  _turning_  had to see her strong, capable brother brought down so low.

She really wanted to hate the dog for somehow doing this to them, but he truly hadn’t done anything---and now he was going to help them. He hadn’t needed to, he was in his right to refuse them, to even  _kill_  them. She wouldn’t have been a match for him, and James wouldn’t have been able to protect himself in this state. And yet the dog,  _Jacob_ , had decided to help them, protect them.

She hated answering to anyone other than her brother (and she was rebellious even then), but she knew that it was in the best interests of both her and James to listen to Jacob and obey his rules. And truly, so far she could understand his one rule. Jacob was a wolf, a protector of humans, he  _lived_  with humans (if the little she could get from James could be trusted). The dog would make sure that those he were protecting wouldn’t endanger the  _others_ he protected.

And while she wouldn’t let him know this, she could easily continue on her diet, his one rule wasn’t a problem. She could control her bloodlust, so could James. It was a necessity. They  _needed_  the dog, his protection.

At least until James was healed completely again.

A whimper rumbled in James’ throat.

“What are you trying to tell me?” Victoria asked, going to her brother, falling to her knees and placing her hands on his knees. “Why won’t you talk anymore?” She tightened her hold on him. “What’s  _happened_  to you?”

James wouldn’t look at her, he only looked down at the totem on the chain he’d worn ever since he’d returned from Forks. The dog’s--- _Jacob’s_  necklace.

“James?”

Nothing.

Closing her eyes, Victoria leaned her forehead against his arm and took in a ragged breath, trying to keep her emotions in check. She hadn’t felt this hopeless, this useless, since she was a young human girl in the wilderness of frontier America.

Her and James’ father had been a famous tracker, a  _hunter_ , (James had inherited his uncanny abilities, which had only been magnified after his turning) who’d moved with his family to the Wild West for adventure and a better life. What he’d found was booze, saloon women, and a large gambling debt that’d made him sell his own young, unwilling daughter to a man to whom he owed an insane amount of money.

James had rebelled, unwilling to let her be bartered like an animal. He’d been severely beaten by Marcus’ men, and mortally wounded and left to die in the desert. Victoria didn’t know exactly who’d sired her brother, but he’d returned three days later and had massacred every one of Marcus’ men, freeing a then traumatized and battered Victoria.

She hadn’t cared that he was now a monster, he was her brother---he was her savior. Her  _avenger_. When he’d offered to make her like him, the woman who’d lived through  _hell_  for three days had nodded without a moment’s hesitation.

The pain had been unimaginable when the poison had entered her system, and she’d spent three days in agony, but James had watched over her until she’d emerged a new creature the third day. James had only stood by and watched as she’d torn her father apart as her first kill for handing her over so ruthlessly to the bastard of a man because of a debt.

And then they’d started life out again, eating and just enjoying themselves. Others had joined them along the way, like  _Laurent_ , revering James for his cunningness, his ruthlessness, and his ability to track. His senses were unparalleled, they were unmatchable.

That was why so many had followed, and why they would want him dead so that he couldn’t hunt them down once he was healed.

“You’re so much trouble,” she whispered tenderly, a small smile curling her lips affectionately.

Suddenly James’ body went tense, his whole body becoming steel as he raised his gaze, a growl reverberating.

Alert, Victoria raised her head, looking concerned. James had never acted like this. “What is it?”

And then she sensed it.

 _“Shit_!” Stumbling to her feet, Victoria turned towards the door, having sensed the two familiar scents. “ _Fuck_!”

The door flew in with one kick, causing the whole cabin to shake and dust fly everywhere.

In the doorway stepped in two large male vampires, both sneering, eyes pitch black, ready to fight.

“Hank.” Victoria tried to keep her voice even. “Mallory.”

“Victoria.” Hank sneered. “Lovely as ever.”

“Sorry I can’t say the same.” She replied curtly.

Mallory chuckled darkly before speaking. “You don’t have to die, Victoria. Just step aside and we’ll let you live.”

“No.” She wasn’t going to survive this, and it filled her with fear, but James would have done the same for her.

“Pity.” Mallory announced, cracking his knuckles, both vampires taking a step towards them.

A scream pierced the sky.

Victoria, Mallory and Hank looked up in surprise at the agonized, terrified sound.

And then there was silence.

“Mack.,” Hank whispered, turning to go outside. He disappeared into the foliage, looking for the vampire that had obviously been their scout.

Mallory narrowed his eyes, keeping them on Victoria and James.

And then Hank’s scream filled the day.

“Want to tell me something, Victoria?” The monstrously large vampire asked casually.

Victoria’s eyes widened and she felt her lips parting at the sight now behind Mallory.

A growl warned of its existence.

Mallory turned at the sound.

Victoria had never seen a wolf as impressive as Jacob Black---for this could be none other than he. The wolf was large, larger than any other wolf she’d ever heard of, and with a russet pelt that was rich and beautiful and covered in _blood_. His eyes were dark brown and fierce, his fangs murderous, his growl  _intimidating_.

The redhead took an involuntary step backwards before remembering that this magnificent,  _scary-ass_  creature was on  _her_  side.

Mallory was tense before throwing his head back and roaring, charging Jacob.

Victoria surged forwards to the doorway, eyes wide, watching the two large creatures battling. Her breath caught in her throat at the impressive, mind-blowing sight. She’d seen Mallory take down rivals before, easily, and yet here he was struggling obviously with the vicious wolf.

A presence at her back caused her to jump, and she gave a little gasp when James leaned heavily against the doorframe, eyes glued emotionlessly on the fight.

On the wolf.

“James?” She whispered, but he didn’t even acknowledge her presence.

Golden eyes returned to the fight, watching it in awe. It was like a deadly dance as each partner circled before attacking once more. Jacob, dodging Mallory’s blow and baring his fangs down on the flesh of his neck, secured his kill. With a brutal yank he’d torn a chunk out of the neck, and with Mallory’s scream those fangs bore into that face and with a yank ripped off the head of the vampire.

Victoria stood spellbound as the wolf turned, breathing heavily, and looked at them. And then it was shifting before their very eyes until one very fit, very  _naked_  Native American stood before them, panting, a savage, vicious smile that sent a jolt of awareness through her system adorning his blood-covered face.

As she stared at the bloody,  _naked_  male standing in front of them she could suddenly  _completely_  understand the attraction her brother had for the dog.

He was  _magnificent_ ; the fight had only served to prove that.

She sent a gaze at her brother, who was smirking slightly at Jacob.

He was showing  _emotion_.

Victoria’s attention returned to Jacob Black.

Maybe being part of this ‘pack’ wasn’t going to be so bad. She didn’t really mind taking orders from someone that  _vicious_. That  _deadly_.

“Get the bodies together.” Seeming completely oblivious to his nakedness, Jacob began to plat his long, crimson-covered hair to keep it out of his face. “I’ll use the wood from this crap hole and we’ll burn them.”

Victoria nodded, giving him one last appreciative glance before turning to her brother. “You’ve got good taste.” And with that she helped her James out of the hunting cabin a safe distance and went to do as ordered while Jacob began to break down the hunting cabin for firewood.

By the time she’d gotten Hank and Mack’s bodies (or what was left of them after the carnage) all piled up together on top of the wood, Victoria watched as Jacob used two piece of rocks to set the wood ablaze.

She turned when she heard the sound of a truck coming towards them.

“Remember Rule Number One,” Jacob’s voice was a threatening purr. He then shifted into his animal form as a truck appeared through the foliage, kinda impressive considering that there really wasn’t a road around here.

The truck stopped and a short human with brown hair and eyes stepped out, holding folded clothes in her hands. “Um.  _Hi_.”

“I’d say ‘oooh, you brought food’, but that obviously isn’t the case,” Victoria said to the wolf. He gave her the evil eye before going towards the human, grabbing the clothes she had in his mug, and disappearing into the shrubs to change.

James’ gaze was on the human.

Victoria frowned as she looked at the unimpressive human girl. “So who are you?”

The girl cleared her throat nervously. “I’m Bella Swan.”

“You Black’s new plaything now that the Cullen boy is gone?” Victoria asked, smelling Jacob on the girl and not liking it. If anyone was going to get with Jacob, it was going to be her  _brother_.

‘Bella’ seemed confused until she understood and sputtered. “ _N-no!_  We’re best friends.”

Still wasn’t acceptable.

Victoria needed to ingratiate herself with Jacob, and it would be hard to do so with the fumbling human in the way.

But if Jacob threatened to destroy them over any human, Victoria shivered to think of what he’d do if harm came to this measly little mortal girl. So that meant that getting rid of the human wasn’t an option.

Victoria pouted.

“I told you not to come until I told you everything was safe.” Jacob spoke to Bella as he emerged from the bushes, clothed once more. Obviously he’d been coming with the human when he’d sensed the other vampires in the area and had taken his clothes off and shifted to get to Victoria and James in time.

“I thought you might need me to run over someone for you,” Bella replied, not at all frightened of the displeasure rolling off of the killing machine in front her.

Instead of death-glaring her as he would have Victoria, Jacob smiled at Bella. “What am I going to  _do_  with you?”

“Obey and cherish---I thought we’d already had this conversation.” Bella smiled.

Victoria raised an eyebrow.

Maybe, thinking things over, the way to ingratiate herself with the wolf was through the mortal. Make friends with the girl, gain her trust, and through her gain Jacob’s.

It wasn’t a bad plan.

“Bells, this is Victoria and her brother James.” Jacob turned to the vampires. “This is my friend Bella. She will be helping us today.”

His voice said it all.

‘Inflict one scratch on her and I will  _personally_  insure you live in hell for the rest of your life.’

Victoria liked it.

It reminded her of how James took charge of things.

“Come on.” Bella looked at them. “It’s not safe here.”

Victoria nodded and with Jacob’s help went to James into the backseat of the pickup.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edward looked at his phone.

It’d been a very busy and hectic day, and he wasn’t even  _close_  to what he needed, but he couldn’t think, couldn’t concentrate. His thoughts were all on Jacob, and dammit, he missed him.

He knew that it would be better if he didn’t communicate with the wolf for a while, that he needed to concentrate completely on his self-appointed quest, but Edward wasn’t as strong and he’d once believed.

Imprinted or not, Jacob was his life.

Marking Jacob’s number, Edward cleared his throat and waited as the phone rang.

He felt so nervous.

Jacob might hate him now, and if he did Edward knew that he couldn’t blame him. Edward hadn’t handled the situation as well as he’d thought he had. In hindsight he realized how much better he could have done.

“I should kick your ass the next time I see you.”

As far as hellos came, that was better than Edward had expected. “Yeah, you should.”

There was a moment’s silence, then a sigh. “How are you?”

“Missing you like hell.”

“ _Good_.”

Edward smiled slightly as he leaned against the wall. It was so good to hear Jacob’s voice. “I’m sorry for leaving the way I did.”

“Are you coming back?”

“Yes,” Edward swore.

“But not now.”

“No.”

“I know why you left.” Jacob spoke seriously, walking away from the background voices Edward couldn’t really recognize. “You should have trusted me enough to tell me, Ed.”

“I’m sorry.” He closed his eyes.

“I can’t be with someone who doesn’t trust me.”

Those eyes flew open. “Jacob---.”

“I’m not---I’m not…” There was a sigh. “We’ll talk about it when you come back. Not before. We’re not making any decisions on a fucking  _phone_.”

“Agreed.” Edward was only all too happy to do so.

There was a crash and an odd whimpering sound.

Jacob sighed in impatience. “I have to go.”

Edward bit back the desire to ask him to stay on longer. “Okay.”

“Call again.” It was an order.

Edward smiled. “Yes sir.”

Jacob chuckled before hanging up.

Edward’s smile faded slightly at the realization that Jacob hadn’t once told him ‘I love you’, but he pushed away his fear that he was making a mistake and was only pushing Jacob away. He was doing the right thing.

He  _was_.

And yet he couldn’t get rid of the nagging fear that maybe, maybe he was only messing things up more than they already were.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jacob watched in wary distrust as Victoria talked to Bella.

A noise behind him caused him to turn around to see James standing. Ever since they’d gotten to the Cullen’s abandoned house James had seemed to come alive. He was still deadly silent, but he was much more aware now, and walked around on his own.

He’d bathed on his own and changed in some of the clothes that the Cullens had left behind in their haste. The muck had been washed out of his shoulder-length hair, and he had found a hair tie, putting it in the low ponytail Jacob had seen him use that once.

“How are you feeling?” Jacob asked, not really expecting an answer.

James nodded, giving a little smirk, like he knew something Jacob didn’t and found it amusing.

Jacob, on the other hand, found it unnerving.

The vampire leaned against the wall opposite the one Jacob leaned against, hand going to the totem around his neck.

“The day you start talking again is the day you’re telling me how you got your hands on that,” the wolf warned, motioning towards the necklace.

A shadow darkened James’ face and he looked away.

Confused by the reaction, Jacob shifted his attention to Victoria and Bella, the latter having laughed at whatever the redhead was telling her.

“What game is your sister playing?” Despite knowing that James wasn’t going to answer, Jacob liked talking to him for some reason.

James shrugged, gaze turning on the two females, curious as well.

Jacob’s gaze slid to the blonde vampire curiously.

James must have sensed his gaze because he turned toward the wolf and smirked, winking.

Eyes wide, Jacob felt himself blushing and was horrified at the realization. “Bella and I should be leaving.” He pushed away from the wall and was about to stalk away when James moved rapidly and grabbed his arm.

The wolf turned to look at him, noticing the worry in those golden eyes, feeling odd at the sounds of the whimpers. “I’ll come back.”

James seemed to be weighing the honesty in those words before nodding and letting go.

Sending the vampire a small, unsure smile, Jacob turned and walked towards where Victoria and Bella were, not exactly sure what had just happened.


	5. In Which Bella Gets Her Way

Lying down on the bed of the small little house they’d rented for their part of the quest, Alice made up her face slightly as she looked over the notes she’d made on her notebook. They hadn’t been able to find the witchdoctor they’d been sent to find, but Jasper had been talking to the locals and had a better idea where the human lived.

Flipping the pages of the notebook, Alice looked at the few notes she’d made from Carlisle and Esme’s quest in Rome, Emmet and Rosalie’s in Africa, and Edward’s in Romania. When he’d gotten them all together (Rosalie and Emmet on phone call) they’d agreed to help him, and had put their own lives on hold to help him in his.

Not that they had a lot of information to show for it so far, but they  _had_  just started on it. The vampiress had to admit that she was just missing Forks, and Bella. She’d tried calling the brunette the moment they’d cleared Immigration, but the call had just rung out.

Alice pouted.

Bella was  _definitely_  still pissed at her.

The pout turned into a frown as the pages flipped with the wind and landed on the few drawings she’d done of visions since she’d boarded the plane. They were five, one with Bella, Jacob and four young people Alice had never seen in her life (two had been  _very_  hard to see but she’d forced her vision until they’d come out clear enough for her to sketch). One was of Bella collapsed to her knees on the ground, covered in blood that wasn’t her own, and two unfamiliar females standing behind her, seeming proud of her. One was of Jacob and a male with a ponytail laughing at something together. One was of Bella and Jacob sitting together and looking slightly troubled. And the last one, or better said, the first one she’d drawn, was of Jacob half transformed, naked, covered in blood but with a vicious, satisfied grin on his face.

All of the drawings made her feel uneasy.

Picking up the picture of Bella, Jacob, and the four strangers sitting together and laughing, looking completely at ease with each other, Alice frowned slightly, tilting her head to the right.

“What set of events did we trigger when we left?”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rumormill in Forks High was on the overload Monday morning with the abrupt departure of the Cullens, and the confirmation when Jacob was without his usually attached to the hip boyfriend. Some people said that Edward had broken Jacob’s heart, some that Jacob had broken  _Edward_ ’s, and yet some said that the family were against the union and had taken Edward away so they couldn’t be together anymore.

The wolf ignored the gossip and gone throughout most of the day with Bella by his side. Lunchtime had been hell though, because Mike, Jessica and everyone else had wanted to know what’d happened, Jessica looking hopeful for some gossip and Mike looking nervously between an always close Bella and Jacob.

In the end Jacob and Bella had given them their rehearsed story. Mr. Cullens’ father was extremely ill and they’d returned home to be by his side just in case the worst had happened. Most people accepted this, disappointed that the news was so mild, Jessica decided to spread the more accurate version around school, starting with her newest boyfriend, Tyler.

“Hey, Jake.”

Looking up, Jacob smiled when he saw Phoenix Jordan. The redhead was smiling down shyly at him as the wolf swallowed his bite of chicken before answering. “Hey, what’s up?”

Phoenix looked nervous. “Is it true what everyone’s saying?” He asked, scratching behind his neck.

“I don’t know,” Jacob’s smile fell. “I’ve heard some  _really_  ridiculous rumors going around.”

Phoenix cleared his throat. “That Edward left and you don’t know when he’s coming back.”

The wolf nodded. “Yeah.” He turned his attention to his plate and began to play with his peas. “Sick family member.”

“That sucks.” Phoenix sounded genuinely sorry. “When you talk to him next, tell him I said hi and that I hope his relative gets better.”

“Will do. Thanks.” Jacob nodded.

Nodding back, Phoenix stumbled away.

Feeling an incredulous stare on him, Jacob turned to see Bella shaking her head at him. “What?”

“ _Men_.” The girl giggled slightly. “They’re all so  _oblivious_!”

Not exactly sure  _what_  she was insulting the male species about  _this_  time, the young Native American just shrugged and sneaked a look at his phone, which was on the table next to him. It didn’t register any missed calls or any texts messages.

A scowl darkened his face as he realized he seemed like a girl waiting for a guy to call for a second date.

This was  _ridiculous_.

He didn’t have to wait for Edward to call him; he could call him himself!

With that resolution the wolf picked up his phone and dialed Edward’s number. The dialtone rang annoyingly until Edward’s answering machine picked up. Jacob tried it again and got the same results.

Finally he sighed and hung up.

“You okay?” Bella asked, placing a hand on his arm.

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” Pulling her hand away, Bella made sure everyone was talking about other things before whispering. “I’m a little worried about James and Victoria.”

“You are?” He raised an eyebrow at that. “You just met them.  _Why_  are you worrying about them?”

“They’re all alone up there. Defenseless.” Bella pouted. “What would happen if they were attacked while we were at school? Or during the night when we’re not there?”

“They’re  _vampires_ , Bella, not toddlers.” He scolded. “They’d be able to take care of themselves.”

“ _Still_ …” She honestly did seem worried as she gnawed her bottom lip slightly. “I was thinking, maybe we could spend some nights sleeping over there.”

For a second he wasn’t sure what she was talking about. And then he understood. “You’ve got to be  _insane_! They’re vam----.” He closed his mouth when he remembered  _where_  they were. The wolf closed his eyes, sighed deeply, and tried again. “I don’t think its safe for you to sleep in a house with them.”

“They won’t hurt me.”

“You don’t know that.” Jacob narrowed his eyes. “I’m not going to back down on this one, Bella. You’re not sleeping there. End of discussion.”

“Okay then,  _you_  stay with them for a while.” Bella replied, realizing that she wasn’t going to win completely in this situation. “Tell dad that you’re staying with some friends from the Rez, he’ll believe you.”

“Are you telling me to lie to your father?”

“Yes.”

Jacob’s mouth fell open before he closed it and looked at her oddly. “Why are you so insistent about this?”

“Well,” Bella looked away. “You don’t have that sad look on your face when you’re with them. You’re too busy to think about Edward and miss him like now.”

The wolf looked away, horrified that he’d been so obvious.

“I think right now, you might need those two as much as they need you.” Bella whispered. “I think,  _I_  think, that it isn’t a coincidence this all happened after he left. I think this is what’s going to keep you from going insane until he comes back.”

The worry in her voice caused his eyes to darken. “I’m not going to go  _insane_.” But he got what she was saying. When he was with the vampires he was too busy keeping an eye on them and making sure that they weren’t causing any trouble that he didn’t  _have time_  to think about Edward and their  _depressing_  situation.

His gaze went to his phone.

And it was obvious that whatever it was Edward was doing had his complete attention.

Jacob needed something like that too.

He sighed and looked at his silent phone once more, deciding that if this all blew up in his face, he’d just blame Edward.

Chuckling softly to himself at that thought, Jacob turned to Bella. “Ok, you win. I’ll do it.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“He’s taken in two  _vampires_?” Sam Uley asked, eyes wide.

Leah Clearwater nodded, hands folded over her chest. “Apparently he’s taken your words about wolves needing a pack seriously.”

The leader of their pack, and her ex boyfriend, shook his head, unable to believe what he was hearing. Leah had to admit that she felt slightly spitefully vindictive about the whole situation. She knew that it wasn’t Sam’s fault for imprinting on her cousin and leaving  _her_  brokenhearted and looking like a fool, but she  _did_  feel bitter about it and enjoyed things not going his way.

“I don’t  _get_  it” Sam announced, voice dark. “First he bonds with a leech and now he’s forming a  _leech pack?_ ” His voice had risen with every word. “What sort of wolf  _is_  he?”

“I don’t think Jacob’s coming back to us, Sam.” Paul announced, eyes narrowed. “I think he’s happy with those bloodsuckers.  _I_  think we should forget all about him and treat him just like those creatures he calls  _friends_.”“And  _I_  think we’d all be better if  _you_  didn’t think.” Leah snapped, completely annoyed with the males in the pack.

Sam raised an eyebrow at her apparent defense of Jacob.

“Look, Jacob would  _never_  associate with bloodsuckers who  _killed_  people.” Embry announced, defending his friend. “All of his bloodsucking friends have been ‘vegetarians’.”

“And Seth said that these two new ones had golden eyes as well.” Quill seconded. “Jacob  _killed_  the three crimson-eyed ones--- _on his own_.” His gaze met Sam’s. “I think that goes to say what sort of wolf he is.”

Sam obviously couldn’t say anything to that.

“I’m just, confused.” Seth, the youngest of the group by far, finally spoke up. “ _Why_  are vampires  _letting_  him Alpha them? Don’t vampires hate our kind as much as we do theirs?”

There were murmurs from the pack as they  _too_  questioned this.

“Jacob is  _special_.” Sam finally spoke. “I’ve known this for a long time. Maybe---maybe the leeches are noticing it as well.”

That left the group in silence.

“Leah, Seth, I want you two to continue patrolling the Cullens land now that they’re gone.” Sam decided, turning to the wolf siblings. “Keep an eye on Jacob and the leeches and report to me about any new development in this situation.” He paused. “And make sure you’re not seen.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Parking inside of the Cullen’s garage, Jacob shouldered his knapsack and headed inside of the large, window-filled home. He was surprised to find Victoria lounging on one of the sofas reading one of Rosalie’s romance books, and James sprawled out on the other sofa, sunning, eyes closed, hands pillowing the back of his head, lips a contented smile.

The sun reflected off of his shirtless chest like millions of diamonds.

Jacob just paused to admire. He didn’t know  _why_  Edward always kept himself covered and hated the way he glistened. Jacob had always liked it, found it oddly appealing.

The wolf wished that Edward hadn’t been so insecure about his own image. He was the handsomest man Jacob had ever seen, and it was sometimes a little irritating that the vampire could never realize this, could never see his own beauty.

A cord in Jacob’s heart hurt  _badly_  at the image of Edward in his mind.

He missed him  _so much_.

“Knapsack.” Victoria spoke, looking up from the book with the  _very_  suggestive cover. “Clothes. Yours?”

“Very literate of you.” Jacob announced as he went towards them and collapsed on the loveseat, the knapsack by his feet.

Victoria sent him a look that spoke of annoyance and amusement.

“Yes, they’re my clothes.” The wolf leaned back in the seat, ignoring James, who’d sat up at the sound of his voice. “Bella was worried about your safety during the nighttime. I tried to tell her you were capable of taking care of yourselves, but she wasn’t having it.”

Victoria smiled slightly for some reason, before hiding her expression behind the book, obviously dismissing him with that gesture.

Not insulted, Jacob turned his attention to James, giving him a little smile. “How are you feeling? Better?”

James nodded, answering in his own way.

“Feel like talking today?” Jacob asked, failing to notice the way Victoria observed them discreetly over the top of her book.

James grinned broadly and shook his head, his hair falling into his face.

“I knew it. You’re just not talking because you don’t want to.” He knew it wasn’t so, had heard James making odd sounds when he thought no one was paying attention. The vampire couldn’t talk, and it was bothering him but he’d prefer for others to believe that the reason he wasn’t speaking was because he didn’t want to.

James’ grin grew at that and he nodded, laying back down and closing his eyes, sighing in contentment.

Apparently the blonde was breathing again. That was good. He was a tracker and he needed to keep practicing with his abilities if he didn’t want them dulled by disuse. The sooner James healed completely the sooner he and Victoria would be able to defend themselves and leave.

“I need to hunt.” Victoria announced suddenly, causing the males to turn in her direction. “I also need to look for something for James as well.”

Anger and self-disgust flashed through James’ eyes as he looked away at those words. It was obviously hard for the once renowned tracker to have to rely on his sister for his own meals. He was walking now, yes, but he was odd on his feet, unbalanced. He seemed disoriented, not exactly sure how to do things he’d once been able to do without even thinking.

Jacob had noticed this yesterday, had noticed the annoyance in James’ face as he tried doing things only to realize he couldn’t, or couldn’t do it the same way he used to.

He’d felt sympathy for the vampire who’d been oh-so-cocky when he’d met him six months ago.

“I’ll stay with him.” Jacob answered, knowing what Victoria was getting at. She’d be able to hunt better without worrying about James being by himself. “I’m staying the night anyway.”

Victoria nodded.

“But as soon as he’s strong enough, we’re  _all_  going to go on a camping trip and do some hunting in Goat Falls,” the wolf decided, surprising the two vampires in the living room. “James is a predator by nature, and he might be weak now but he’ll get stronger. All he needs is to practice his skills once he’s strong enough.”

Victoria sent a glance in her brother’s direction, hopeful. “You think he’ll get as strong as he used to be?”

James turned and glared at her for even doubting that.

Jacob chuckled at the way the female cringed and sent her brother an apologetic look. “Of course. All he is is injured now. He just needs to heal, and with work he’ll be just as good as before.” He frowned suddenly. “But if you decide to go back to your normal diet when that happens, you better get the  _hell_  outta Forks.”

The vampire siblings were silent.

Victoria suddenly stood. “I’m going to go now and hunt.”

They were silent as she left, and Jacob sighed, pulling out his homework. He’d always found schoolwork easy, despite the fact that he’d been advanced a grade when he’d transferred to Forks High. He finished his math (which Edward usually helped him with), and his other subjects before turning the lights on when it started getting too dark.

He wondered how long it would be before the light and water companies cut their connection.

By the time he was finished with his homework and had put it away he turned to see James still lying on the sofa, scribbling furiously on a large pink notebook with a frilly, pink and purple pencil that just  _screamed_  ‘Alice’.

Jacob couldn’t help but grin at the sight of the  _very_  masculine James using such  _feminine_  things.

As if sensing his amusement, James’s gaze rose and his dark eyes were mischievous before he leaned over the distance separating their seats and passed Jacob the notebook.

Raising his eyebrow, Jacob looked down at the messy scribbles that showed that it was obviously hard for James to write as well. Apparently his motor functions had been damaged during the mutiny. That would explain his problem with coordination while walking as well.

_**You told my sister that the reason you were helping us was because a lot of people had made decisions for you. What decisions?** _

Jacob snorted, raising his eyebrow. “You wouldn’t be curious.”

James just gave him a grin and shrugged as if to say ‘so what?’.

“Well, when I---had an attraction to Edward, the Alpha of my pack threw me out of it. He made the decision for me in his own way.” Jacob announced, passing the notebook back to a serious-looking vampire. “And when Edward found out that maybe we weren’t made to be together, he left to find out on his own without even telling me, not giving me the chance to make a decision, not giving me a  _choice_  despite the fact that I’m just as much a part of this relationship as he was.” The wolf was silent for a moment, wondering why he was telling James this. “I don’t think I’ve forgiven him for that yet.”

There was silence, and then furious scribbling, and then the pink book was shoved under his nose once more.

_**His loss.** _

Jacob smirked, amused.

Thus began their odd yet comfortable ‘conversation’. James would write and Jacob would speak, both amused as they asked questions and answered and spoke about themselves and their likes and dislikes.

Jacob was so surprised to see how sharp James was. He’d seemed to have finally gotten out of the mental shock that’d left him the pitiful creature the wolf had seen that day huddled in the darkest corner of the rotting hunting cabin, and while there was  _still_  a lot of him that needed healing, James seemed so much  _better_.

 _ **It’s not the bad actually. It’s tasty, in its own way. But it isn’t like the real deal**_. This was in answer to Jacob’s question as to how he was dealing with drinking only animal blood.  _ **But Victoria and I remember the One Rule you’ve given us so far**_. There was a pause.  _ **You don’t have to get so jumpy whenever your pet human is around. We won’t harm her. She is…amusing.**_

‘Pet human’ was just  _such_  a funny name for Bella---though the wolf doubted she’d see things the same way.

“Good to know.” Jacob replied, resting his feet on the coffee table, feeling a little guilty at the thought of Esme’s expression if she could see him now. “James?” he sent a sidelong glance at the vampire. “Why Forks? Why return here? Why ask for my help?” He then paused. “Why does Victoria blame me for what happened to you?”

James was still, looking down at the notepad before breathing out and beginning to write slowly.

_**I don’t really know all those answers myself. I---I just knew that I had to come here, and that you would help us. It was this inner feeling I’d never had before, a voice that was guiding me and telling me what to do.** _

Jacob blinked, surprised. That sounded a lot like a wolf’s Instinct. “When did this  _feeling_  begin?”

James seemed surprised at the question, and tapped the frilly pink and purple pen against his lips for a second as he thought, before answering.

_**Around the time I left here, actually.** _

Jacob’s gaze went to James’ hand as it clasped around his totem. “Where did you get that?”

James paused, looking down at the totem, before sighing.

_**I stole it.** _

“From me?” Jacob blinked, surprised and shocked at that. He’d almost been sure that he must have dropped it in the forest and the vampire had come upon it.

_**Yes.** _

“ _Why_?”

 _ **I’m not giving it back**_.

Jacob snorted at the cheek, but decided to let that slide. He also noted the swift change in subject but decided not to push it. James had answered more than the wolf had thought he would.

James suddenly perked up, eyes narrowed, distant,  _alert_.

The wolf tried to sense something but couldn’t. What was it that the vampire tracker could tell that he couldn’t?

The vampire suddenly relaxed and smirked in dark amusement.

_**You’re going to be annoyed.** _

Before Jacob could even ask what the bloodsucker was referring to, he heard the sound. His eyes narrowing. It was the sound of the  _truck_. “I’m going to wring her neck!”

Getting up he left James in the livingroom and tore downstairs and out of the house into the darkness, watching as two headlights shone on him as the beat-up old red truck of Bella Swan’s parked in front of him and the engine died.

“ _Bella_!” He began, dangerous.

“Oh  _hush_.” Bella announced as she grabbed a  _huge_  plastic garbage bag filled with hard things and shoved it into his arms. “It was either this or a night alone at home feeling sorry for myself and evading Mike’s calls.” She reached in again and pulled out her own knapsack of clothes and another large plastic bag. “I brought snacks and games. So shut up, give me a smile, and tell me you’re happy to see me.”

Jacob opened his mouth to try knock some sense into the human and then closed it, realizing that there was no use talking with this one. She obviously had a death wish.

Sighing, he hung his head and shook it. “I’m happy to see you.”

Her smile was large. “I knew you’d be.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite his murderous past, Bella found that she liked James---she liked him  _a lot_. Together with Jacob they’d played some of the  _obscene_  amount of board games Charlie had shown her he’d collected over the years, and she decided that she’d made the right choice in coming tonight, even if it  _was_  a little reckless of her.

Victoria had returned hours later with a struggling deer in her hold. And that was the first time Bella had ever watched a kill. Jacob had wanted to make her stay in the house but she’d asked James if he minded if she watched when he did so and the vampire had shook his head, heading outside to do the deed.

It was  _brutal_ , and she’d felt pity for the deer, but still she was enthralled with everything, with how  _open_  and  _comfortable_  Victoria and James were with their, er, vampirehood. She loved Alice and Jasper, loved the Cullens, but they weren’t so open like this with her, always tried to act and live like humans. A lot of times Bella forgot they  _weren’t_  human.

But there was something about Victoria and James that screamed  _predator_ , and it drew her in.

“I want to go too,” Bella declared when Victoria commented on being excited at the thought of she, James and Jacob going on a hunting trip to Goat Falls when James was strong enough.

“ _No_.” Jacob narrowed his eyes.

James tilted his head, eyeing her curiously.

“Why not?” Bella asked.

“You saw James kill that deer,” Victoria responded slowly. “Would you  _really_  like to watch as two vampires and a wolf  _hunted down prey_  in their own habitat and killed it? Would you be able to stand it? The fear? The chase? The bloody end?”

She winced slightly at the thought, and then straightened. “Yes.”

Victoria’s face was curiously blank before she suddenly smiled. “I think I like you.”

And Bella finally felt completely accepted by the two newcomers. She smiled.

Jacob was silent, thinking. “Are you sure you want to do this? Bella? A hunt is gruesome to watch.”

“I’ll be alright.” Bella promised, knowing her stomach would probably be queasy and she’d feel sympathy for the prey, but she  _really_  wanted to do this, to be a part of the pack. Wanted to prove her worth…didn’t want Jake to leave her behind.

She blinked, surprised at that thought.

Was that one of the reasons why she was doing this? She was worried about losing her friendship with Jake?

“Ok, but only if you keep safe.” Jacob nodded. “You  _are_  stronger than you look.” His smile was teasing.

And Bella smiled back, knowing that it was silly to worry about losing Jacob. “Now that that is settled, who’s up for a game of Chinese Checkers?” Of course, like all the previous games, Victoria and James didn’t know how to play, so they spent the next couple of hours enjoying learning the game and playing it poorly.

Despite his obvious desire to stay up and keep an eye on them, Jacob was the first to fall asleep, doing so on the ground on one of the two sleeping bags Bella had brought with her.

The human smiled as she she got into her own sleeping bag, surprised when Victoria and James just laid down on the sofas, Victoria picking up a half-read book, and James…

James had turned so that he was looking at Jacob’s sleeping face. The vampire’s gaze strayed on Bella, and he smiled when he realized that she’d caught him. Bringing his finger to his lips in a ‘shhh’ kinda way, he made himself comfortable and went back to looking at an oblivious and sleeping Jacob.

Shocked at this discovery, Bella closed her eyes and fell asleep, wondering what exactly this was going to mean for the future.


	6. October 31st

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2009's Chapter Note:
> 
> The next three chapters will go by kind of like the three pages in New Moon (October, November, December), except that instead of a blank page with one word on it like the book had it, each chapter will be focused on a day of each of the aforementioned months. And it will take at least two more chapters before Edward's return.

**October 31st**

More than a month had passed since Edward had left and Jacob’s life had turned upside down. The wolf wasn’t even sure how to evaluate his relationship with the vampire. He was still in love with him, still loved him as much as he had when he’d been here, but lately their already few phone calls were growing less and less.

He had a good idea of what Edward was up to---what he had his whole family up to. Although his boyfriend had yet to admit it, or confirm his questions, Jacob knew that he was searching for the truth of what was happening to them---the truth of what had happened to that one couple who’d thought they’d imprinted on each other only to end up in murder.

Jacob was curious too, he wanted answers as well, but wanted more than anything was to have Edward back in Forks,  _with him_ …but that apparently wasn’t going to happen for yet a while.

“No. No. It’s ridiculous.”

Turning at Victoria’s voice, Jacob watched as Bella tried to convince the female vampire that she  _did_  want to put on the costume Bella had rented for her for Halloween. There was going to be a party in Port Angeles, and since Victoria had been dying to get out of the Cullen’s home (which  _still_  mysteriously had water and electricity) Bella had decided that she and James should come with her and Jacob.

“What’s so ridiculous about it?” Bella wanted to know, lifting up the black number for inspection. “It’s hot.” She turned to James, who was leaning against the wall and watching them in amusement. “Isn’t it nice, James?”

He nodded in agreement, smirk mischievous.

“It’s a  _vampire_  costume.” Victoria pouted, taking the black number from Bella. “You even got me plastic  _fangs_ , humans can’t even get those details right!” And yet she was placing it to her body and obviously considering it once she realized that the cut would be flattering to her figure.

“Forgive us lowly and ignorant humans.” Bella rolled her eyes, amused.

Victoria ignored her before turning to Jacob, eyes fierce. “What do you think?”

Jacob faltered. Sure, he was in love with a guy---but that didn’t make him a fashionsita. He didn’t know one thing about clothes. “The choker is nice.” He pointed out the one thing that’d caught his attention about that number. “Like the way it looks likes drops of blood.”

“I liked it too.” Victoria smiled, examining the accessory. She looked at herself in the mirror in Rosalie’s room, the room she’d taken over since she liked the few clothes and shoes Rosalie had left behind---and was currently reading her way through all of Rosalie’s trashy romance novels for lack of a better thing to do.

James and Bella exchanged glances, both laughing, Bella’s a crystal-like tinkle, and James’ a deep, hoarse sound. His voice had yet to recuperate and he had yet to be able to mutter a word. Apparently his vocal cords had been the worst thing damaged by the mutiny, and since he was living on animal blood his body was taking much longer than it usually would to recuperate.

Jacob smiled as he watched them interact, unable to believe that they’d gotten this close in only a month. Somehow the wolf, human, and vampires had meshed into a ‘ragtag pack’ as Bella had predicted.

A pack he had yet to tell Edward about.

Sighing, the wolf turned his back on his friends and looked out of the window. He didn’t know  _why_  he hadn’t told Edward about James and Victoria. Every time he opened his mouth to tell him about the newcomers something would stop him from doing so. In Jacob’s defense it was usually something on  _Edward’s_  side that would interrupt, and then he’d just stopped trying.

Maybe it was an omen.

He didn’t know.

And it wasn’t like Jacob wasn’t busy either. Not only did he have school to think of, but he spent all of his free time with Bella at the Cullen’s with Victoria and James, mostly helping James train. It’d been Bella’s idea and it’d been brilliant.

Every day Jacob would help James train both his body and his senses by either sparring with him or hiding deep into the forest and leaving a faint trail for him to use his tracker abilities to find his hiding place. Slowly but surely James was growing more coordinated again, growing stronger, more confident and cocky.

He was getting more like the image of the vampire Jacob had met.

If things continued the way they were, then all of them would be able to go to Goat Falls on the hunting trip next month.

Yes, James was making a slow but sure recovery.

The only problem was his voice. It wasn’t healing at all. It was still only a scratchy, painful sound.

A small black notebook was shoved in the wolf’s face.

Jacob turned and smiled at James. He’d bought him the more masculine notebook after the vampire had used up Alice’s spare pink one.

 _ **You don’t have to look so gloomy. We’re not going to eat anyone…no matter how tempting they might be**_.

He chuckled, rolling his eyes at the smirking vampire. “Good.” He paused and looked away, feeling oddly uncomfortable. “It’d hurt me to have to kill you guys now.”

There was silence.

Then scribbling.

_ **I look better with golden eyes anyway.** _

Jacob’s smile returned. “Yeah, you do.”

Surprise covered James’ face before he grinned somewhat seductively.

The wolf ducked his gaze, feeling his face overheating in embarrassment at what he’d just said. “So what costume did Bella get you?”

James continued to grin at him before scribbling down the answer.

_ **Pirate.** _

The wolf raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “ _Pirate_?”

James nodded, seeming amused at the choice as well before pointing to the wolf and looking questioningly.

“Well, she was threatening of making me go as Adam with only this thing of leaves down below,” Jacob admitted, making a face at the thought. “But I put my foot down and told her that if she was going to choose my costume for me it better be something more masculine than that. So she chose Bamm-Bamm for me and Pebbles for her. I’m not too happy about it, but I prefer Bamm-Bamm over Adam any day.”

The confusion in James’ eyes proved that he had no idea  _who_  Jacob was talking about.

“Bamm-Bamm and Pebbles characters from a cartoon called the Flintstones.”

James shrugged, still not recognizing the reference.

_ **Have you seen them around again?** _

By now used to James’ constant switching of topics, Jacob nodded, knowing what the vampire was asking. “Yeah. They were here earlier but left.”

For some reason the Clearwater siblings had been keeping an eye on them for around a quarter of a month now, in their wolf forms. Jacob had noticed them a while back but hadn’t confronted them, allowed them to believe that they were being discreet. The wolves weren’t attacking, and until they made a move Jacob didn’t have a reason to do so.

“Guys, guys,  _what_  are you doing back here?” Bella asked, flinging her arms around their shoulders. “You have to go and change or we’ll be late!”

The males sighed before doing as told.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The phone rang.

Victoria, looking at her reflection in the mirror, frowned at the sound distracting her from the view. At first she tried to ignore the ringtone, which Jacob had told her was  _Lil’ Red Ridinghood_  by Bowling for Soup (she’d loved the irony once she’d heard the lyrics), but when the song started all over again she stormed towards the gadget and answered it.

“Jacob Black’s phone.” She returned her attention to her reflection, fluffing her hair and admiring herself.

There was a moment’s pause. “Who is this? Where’s Jacob?”

“He’s getting ready with the others to go to the party,” Victoria announced, half ignoring the speaker. “Hold on a second while I see if he can talk to you.” She leaned forwards and checked her makeup. “ _BLACK!_ ”

“ _What_?” He called from the next room.

“Phone for you!”

“Take a message! I’m kind of busy!” His voice was muffled. “Damned costume.”

She laughed at that before fixing a little smudge in her lipstick, talking to the person on the phone. “Sorry, but Jake’s busy right now. He’ll call you back.” And with that she hung up, disconnecting the conversation, throwing the phone back on the bed and turning slightly to admire her backside.

Bella hadn’t let her down. This was actually  _nice_.

But she refused to wear the plastic fangs.

They were  _ridiculous_.

Jacob stuck his head through the door. “Who was it?”

“No one important, I think it was one of your school friends or something.” Thus the not important part. Victoria tore her gaze from the mirror and posed for Jacob. “Does this make my butt look big?”

The wolf blushed, eyes wide, looking slightly terrified by the question. “Uh,  _no_?”

She grinned. “Pity.” Walking towards him she laughed when she saw his costume. “Poor you. I’d offer to kill Bella for you, but I like her too much.”

That brought a smile to Jacob’s face. “You ready?”

“To get out of this place and visit civilization?” Looking at him as if he was insane for even  _asking_ , Victoria grinned and slung her arm around his as they left the room.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In his rented room in Romania, Edward Cullen looked at the phone in his hand. Who was that female that’d answered Jacob’s phone? A school friend?

The vampire sighed as he threw himself back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. He was missing Jacob with an intensity that  _hurt_ , but he couldn’t give up, not after putting this much effort into this.

Curling up into a ball, he closed his black eyes and imagined Jacob, as he’d been doing for the last month. His nighttime imaginations were the only thing that kept him from going insane without the wolf by his side. A part of him was furious with himself because it was  _his_  fault that they were separated, but Edward  _needed_  to do this,  _needed_  the truth.

And---and apparently Jake was doing fine without him.

He was hanging out with friends Edward didn’t know and going to  _parties_.

Trying to squash his feelings of jealousy and insecurity, Edward told himself that he didn’t have the right to feel that way. He’d left his boyfriend alone with only Bella for company, it was only to be expected that he’d make more friends. Jacob was friendly by nature.

Taking in a deep breath, trying to calm himself, Edward told himself was more that he was doing the right thing and everything would work out between him and Jake in the end.

Somehow it was sounding less convincing than it had when he’d started out on this quest.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Sword’s Stone was a new nightclub that was opening on Halloween night in Port Angeles with the banner that warned if you didn’t have a costume you weren’t allowed inside. It’d been the talk of the Forks youth, and many of them had tried sneaking in with fake I.D.s. Most hadn’t made it passed the burly bouncers, but neither Jacob nor his group had had any trouble entering.

The wolf looked around, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the loud music and swaying bodies. He hadn’t gone to a party since Edward’s departure, and kinda felt a little guilty for starting to now, but Bella and Victoria had really wanted to come, and getting out of the house would do James some good.

Also, Jacob had wanted to secretly test Victoria and James around potential ‘food’. They’d behaved wonderfully around Bella, but this was the ultimate test of their promise to keep their eyes golden.

“I’m going to dance!” Victoria announced, and before she lost herself in the crowd she turned and looked at Jacob, as if reading his thoughts. “I’ll behave!”

The three remaining made their way to a table and looked around at the jam-packed nightclub. It was styled in a medieval fashion, with swords that looked authentic decorating its walls. Jacob kept a close watch on Victoria as she changed dance partners every couple of songs, easily attracting the most impressive male specimens in the place.

Bella watched her wistfully enjoying herself until a brave guy dressed as Naruto asked her to dance, and the girl Pebbles accepted after warning him that she wasn’t exactly coordinated on the dancefloor. The Naruto had just smiled and told her that he wasn’t exactly a Disco King either, and both had grinned, joining the dancing throng together.

Jacob sighed.

Now he had to keep an eye on Bella to make sure some ninja-wanna-be didn’t try to take advantage of her, and keep an eye on  _Victoria_  to make sure she didn’t snack on any of her suitors.

_ **Have you ever thought of cutting your hair?** _

The written question caught him off guard, and Jacob fingered his long locks on instinct. “No, actually.” Edward had always loved his long hair and so it’s never crossed his mind to get rid of it.

 _ **In our sparring, your hair gets in your face and blinds you sometimes, and it gets loose and bothers you**_. James pointed out, seemingly having thought about this for a while.  _ **My hair is a lot shorter and manageable than yours…I think you’d look good with a shorter cut than even mine though. And it’d be practical.**_

Jacob thought that over, the vampire had made a couple of good points. “How short?” He asked, surprised that he was actually considering this.

James smiled and leaned forwards over the table, running his fingers through Jacob’s hair and indicating the length physically.

Jacob froze, the action seeming amazingly intimidate, eyes wide when he realized that James’ face was close to his.

Heat rushed to his face as James’ smile grew smugger and his fingers curled around the black locks, tilting Jacob’s face slightly.

The wolf’s heart was pounding rapidly, and it shocked the hell outta him.

What the hell was going  _on_?

Suddenly a scream pierced the night, and both jerked away, realizing that while they’d been, uh, doing what they’d been doing they’d both missed the coven of vampires entering The Sword’s Stone and locking all the exists before descending on the defenseless humans within

Jacob stood rapidly, feeling the change upon him as his clothes ripped and suddenly he was his wolf form, jumping on the creature closest to him as it cornered a young girl. The wolf knew he was horribly outnumbered, but Bella was in this club, and he wasn’t about to let some---.

The vampire charging towards him and the one he was fighting was thrown away, clanging into the wall viciously. James appeared from behind him, eyes narrowed.

“What are you doing?” The vampire he’d attack asked. “You’re a vampire, just like us!”

James didn’t answer, only charged.

Jacob couldn’t concentrate on James’ fight anymore, putting his whole attention on the large creature he was fighting, never realizing that the whole thing was being carefully watched.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“We should be helping them!” Leah Clearwater announced, horrified, watching the fight below, dressed as Pocahontas. When she and Seth had overheard the leeches talking about this party Sam had announced that the three of them would go watch secretly and see how it would go.

Some other rogue leeches had appeared and started feeding upon the dancers, and Sam had ordered her and Seth to remain in the upstairs lookout where they were hidden. Not to help.

“The leeches are fighting their own kind,” Sam whispered to himself, obviously disturbed.

“ _Sam_!” Seth hissed. “Leah’s right! We need to help them!”

“ _Silence_!” Sam raised his hand, leaning forwards more, looking below them at the war.

As a pack-member Leah couldn’t disobey Sam, no matter  _how much_  her wolf was screaming for her to jump into the fray and help Jacob and---god forbid---his leeches.

At first the leech siblings had done nothing when the others had attacked, they’d just stepped back, looking confused and not exactly sure what to do, but when the rogue leeches had attacked Jacob and his human friend, they’d gotten into the fray as well, fighting off their own kind to protect them.

They hadn’t seemed to truly care about the lives of the humans around them, but had gone into a fury when Jacob and the human girl were put in danger.

Leah’s grip on the railing above tightened till it was painful.

She felt so  _useless_.

She could fight---she  _should_  be fighting!

But was she?

 _No_.

And why?

Because  _Sam_  wanted to watch as the leeches fought off their own kind!

 _Think of the humans_! The wolf protector inside of her snarled.  _Protect!_

…Like  _Jacob_  was doing.

…Like Jacob and his  _leeches_  were doing.

Self-disgust filled her and she crouched to her knees on the boardwalk above, leaning her forehead against the metal railing and looking below with impotence.

Despite Jacob and his leeches fighting they were still horribly outnumbered, and humans were being massacred all around them.

_Do something!_

Leah’s lips trembled at the screams and her eyes watered, her body shaking from her desire to go help, but Sam’s commands kept her frozen to her spot.

She’d never hated him until that moment.

Dark eyes noticed movement to the side of the room, and she watched in surprise the human friend of Jacob’s climbing onto a table and tugging viciously on one of the swords on the wall. She finally got it out and jumped to the ground in time for one of the vampires to realize she was alone and attack her.

The human dodged and parried clumsily, the sword obviously too heavy for her to handle comfortably. Still it kept the vampire at arms length. The vampire was laughing, finding her efforts obviously amusing, but a movement to their right distracted him and the girl swung, the blade of the sword slicing off the head of the creature.

The leech’s blood spurted out onto her, ruining her Pebbles outfit, and the sword slipped through her fingers, clanking to the ground, as she seemed to go into some sort of shock. The human girl collapsed to her knees in the middle of the chaos, looking at her blood-covered hands.

Leah felt surprising  _pride_  at the human. She’d never seen a mortal kill a vampire before. And surprisingly enough, the wolf noticed the female leech sending the human a similar proud look as she grabbed the head of the vampire she fought and tore the green-haired person’s head off.

The rogue vampires, although still larger in quantity, opened the doors and escaped along with the fleeing humans.

Jacob turned and hurried to Bella, looking her over, desperate until he realized that the blood wasn’t hers.

“We need to burn this place and the bodies here.” The female leech announced then made up her nose and closed her eyes, looking hungry. “Uhm, maybe  _you_  should, Black. The smell of blood---.”

Jacob nodded. “Take Bella and go. I’ll do this.”

The leeches hurried the human girl, while Jacob grabbed one of the candles on a table and started setting fire to the tapestries on the walls.

“Let us go.” Sam announced, leaving through the upstairs exit.

Seth waited for him to go before offering his sister his hand as the place started going up into flames. “Leah, we have to go.”

“I hate him,” Leah whispered, grabbing hold of her younger brother’s hand and letting him help her to her feet and lead her away. “I  _hate_  him.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Victoria taught me to fight somewhat with a stick while you two were out training every evening.” Bella finally admitted, bundled up and warming in Jacob’s arms as they retreated to the Cullen’s home and changed out of their bloodstained clothes.

Jacob looked up in surprise at the female vampire. “Why?”

“Well, she should know how to defend herself, even if only against an ordinary human loser.” Victoria shrugged, hugging a pillow to her body. They were all sitting on Carlisle and Esme’s bed. Vampires mightn’t sleep, but they  _did_ lay down and rest, and the good doctor had gotten himself a king size bed.

“Thank you.” Jacob whispered, looking at both siblings. “Thank you both. You---you didn’t have to do what you did tonight, but you did.”

James was silent as always, his gaze dark and on his wolf totem.

Victoria smiled, looking slightly embarrassed. “Well, how I see it is that if you died there’d be no one to help James, and if  _Bellsy_  died, there’d be no one to keep  _me_  company while you two are training…so it was actually pretty selfish reasoning on my part.”

Jacob smiled and let go of Bella.

Tonight he’d finally learnt to completely trust the vampires.

“Thank you.” And he did something for the first time with them. Leaning forwards he pulled the siblings into a hug. “It meant a lot to know you two had my back.”

The vampires were both shocked stiff at his initiating contact like this, before they finally relaxed and tentatively returned the hug.

When Jacob pulled away they were all smiling kinda embarrassed, all except Bella, who was smiling brightly.

“Tonight was a good night.” She decided, leaning her head against Jacob’s shoulder and closing her eyes. “Let’s watch some monster movies on doctor Cullen’s TV and make fun of them?”

With a unanimous agreement they turned on the television and watched the old horror reruns shown on Halloween night until the human and the wolf fell asleep.

Victoria exchanged an amused expression with her brother as she covered them up with the blanket and got comfortable again.

The vampires were unused to this feeling of contentment, of belonging.

It was almost---it was almost like a  _family_.

Something they really had never belonged to.

James, rubbing his thumb over his totem, laid back down next to Jacob, brushing a strand of long black hair out of the wolf’s face almost reverently, and Victoria was once again struck by how much her brother liked him.

Well, there was much to like. Even though he was their  _‘Alpha’_  Jacob really wasn’t very domineering. He was easy, laidback, didn’t order them around much. He only emphasized the One Rule, and while they enjoyed their human blood they’d been able to obey the One Rule because the moment a bit of crimson entered their eyes this would end.

They wouldn’t have this family anymore.

And despite the fact that they would both refer  _true death_  over admitting it, the thought bothered them more than they cared to admit, even to themselves.


	7. November 20th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2009's Chapter Note:
> 
> A nice reviewer informed me that in Stephenie's world vampires can only get killed by other vampires or werewolves...but just pretend in my universe they CAN be killed by humans, but it's very hard considering how fast and strong they are.

**November 20th**

“So, dad wants to meet you guys.” Bella was saying, dressed in khakis, a camouflage jacket, and boots. “He wanted to know who Jacob and I have been spending so much time with, and I had to give him your names---and he wants to meet you all soon.”

They were all riding in Bella’s pickup, Jacob driving, James riding shotgun, and the girls in the backseat, giggling, gossiping, and now Bella was warning them that they were going to have to go to her house soon to meet the father.

James sighed, leaning back against his seat and looking ahead of him silently at the road. The back of the truck was filled with camping gear and supplies. This was the long weekend they’d be spending in Goat Falls, the first time since his injury that James would hunt for himself, and while he was loathed to admit it, he was nervous.

What if he couldn’t?

The vampire knew that it was just his nerves speaking, but ever since the mutiny and his injuries he’d lost a lot of self-esteem. He’d gone from the feared leader of a vicious coven of bloodsuckers to a pitiful charity case who only survived thanks to the mercy of his sister. It’d hurt his pride horribly, as had her obvious worry that he’d never be the same he was before the mutiny.

“I don’t do good with dads.” Victoria sounded wary. “Not even when I was alive—not even with  _my own_  dad.”

James snorted.

That was an understatement.

Their father had started out okay, he’d been legendary with his hunting and tracking skills (something James had inherited) but once they’d met and he’d started drinking and gambling he’d become a true  _bastard_. He’d sold Victoria to an even  _bigger_  bastard who’d raped her and let his men do whatever they wanted with her too.

When James had stood up to him, tried to break her out of that hell, his father had warned the others of his intentions (afraid they’d think he was in on it) and they’d been waiting on James. He’d been beaten severely in front of the sister he’d tried rescuing. He truly didn’t remember the pain, but he remembered the terror in Victoria’s green eyes as she was held-back by some of those disgusting humans.

He’d kept his green eyes on hers throughout the whole ordeal, knowing he’d failed as he saw the horror in her eyes as she cried for him. And then he’d been taken to the wilderness and had been wounded fatally and left to die or be eaten alive by the coyotes.

He remembered going into shock, his body bleeding out, burning up, dying slowly. And he remembered a wolf. It was russet in color, standing by his side throughout the whole ordeal, licking his wounds until they’d closed up on their own, but by that time James had already lost too much blood.

The wolf stayed with him some hours, driving away any animal that would feast upon the human reeking of blood and death. It stayed with him and warmed him with its pelt when night fell and with it the bone-chilling cold.

It stayed with him until a shadow of a mortal appeared, but by that time James was almost gone, given over to his delusions and hallucinations. He remembered his shirt being torn open and pain unlike anything he’d ever felt on his shoulder. He’d been too weak to struggle, to do anything, until the creature, which couldn’t be human, finally let go, and left.

The wolf watched the creature go and turned to look at him until he couldn’t see from the pain.

For three days he trembled and his body wracked in pain, and three days the wolf stayed by his side, until on the third day the pain was gone and he was different. He opened his eyes and saw the world with a new light, could  _taste_ it.

And he hungered.

It was only when he was on his feet that the wolf left his side, running away, as if its work was complete.

James had watched the beautiful creature until it disappeared, and then he’d headed back into town at the fall of night. He’d noticed the way his skin shone oddly in the day, and while it intrigued him he didn’t wish the first thing they’d see to be  _glitter_.

In the cover of darkness he visited the town and descended upon Marcus’ slime hole, the screams of his sister and the lecherous laughter of the men only fueling his fury. It’d been a slaughterhouse by the time he was finished, the only ones alive were Marcus and Victoria.

His sister had been a battered, traumatized shell, hands trembling as they tried to hold the shreds of her clothes over her bruised and mistreated body.

He’d given her a choice.

He could kill Marcus and their father to avenge her and then leave her to live her life in town, or he could change her as he’d been done and she could do it herself.

And a little light returned to those eyes as she forced herself to her feet and told him if anyone would kill those monsters, it would be  _her_.

He’d taken her, and his two hostages to the wilderness, the men tied together, and he bit her. It was hard to keep from just killing her, but his will was stronger than his bloodlust. Instead of giving into temptation to just drain her dry he followed his instincts and bit her as had been done to him, somehow managing to pull away, leaving his sister screaming in agony but with the promise of a new beginning.

And when she was turned, when she stood up that third day, she was as him, and her first feed was Marcus. She was full enough to torture their father for the things he’d allowed those men do to her, had helped them do to her, for the trust broken. And then she fed viciously.

From that moment forth they’d decided that humans were the real monsters, and they’d gone off on their own, attracting vampires all around because of the tales of his viciousness and his unparallel senses.

And then it’d all changed when they’d come to this insignificant little town and he’d met Jacob Black.

Everything had happened once he’d met him, and he’d wanted to  _hate_  the wolf but couldn’t. Not when Jacob had saved them, not when Jacob had taken them under his wing, not when Jacob smiled at him and something odd happened in James’s stomach at the sight.

He hated  _himself_  for how weak he was, for the way the wolf saw him, battered and broken. He’d been a shell for so long, and he’d been ashamed for the wolf to see him like that. He hadn’t even been able to walk properly, bumping into things he should have easily been able to avoid, and such.

He’d wanted to refuse the offer Jacob had given him to train with him and spar, to help him recuperate his physical strength and his waning senses, but James had pushed back his pride and agreed. It’d been a constant blow to his pride as he was shown over and over again how low he’d fallen, how easily the wolf defeated him time after time.

But Jacob never sneered at his failings, only encouraged him and when there was criticism it was constructive, aimed to help him improve himself and not highlight his shortcomings. James’ pride had only survived the lessons intact thanks to Jacob’s thoughtful way of instructing, and in time he started to enjoy the lessons, the sparring, the testing of his senses as he found himself more coordinated, his strength returning, and his senses sharpening to the degree they’d once been.

James was strong now, stronger than he was truly showing. He didn’t know  _why_  he kept the extent of his progress hidden from Jacob, though he had a suspicion that it was because he feared that the moment he was deemed healthy enough he and his sister would be dismissed and expected to leave.

And James found that neither he nor Victoria truly wanted that.

_At all._

Sure, that’d been the deal, but the vampires didn’t want to fulfill their end.

They  _liked_  it with the wolf and their human pet.

It wasn’t that James wasn’t at times conflicted with Jacob’s Alpha-ness. James had always been his own leader, never took orders from anyone after his father’s death, so it sore him sometimes that he was under the control of the wolf. He’d been testing his boundaries lately, especially this last month, seeing how far he could push on  _any_  subject before Jacob snarled and pushed back.

What’d surprised him was that unlike James himself as a leader, Jacob was fairly lax. He wasn’t very controlling, still sticking to the One Rule and that was mostly it.

Oh, yeah, and no one could say anything bad against  _Edward Cullen_.

James growled deep in his throat at the reminder of the  _other_  vampire in  _his_  wolf’s life. The sound was hoarse and painful, as his voice was still suffering. He’d been able to form few sentences, but it hurt his throat like hell to do so.

Jacob had told him not to talk too much and strain his voice, and he’d bought him some syrup that was supposed to soothe throats. It was little things like that that made James able to overlook the order not to use the voice he’d lost for so long.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I didn’t do that.” Jacob made a face at Bella through the rearview mirror. “I wonder how he’s doing though. I mean, he just disappeared.”

Bella sighed.

Victoria looked bored.

James frowned.

They were talking about their student friend, the one that had the name of a bird or a city or something. He’d disappeared around the first of November, and Jacob and Bella had been shocked and worried at the news.

“I hope he’s okay.”

James’ gaze turned to Jacob and he observed the young wolf. He smiled as he saw the boy run his hands through his short hair. He’d gotten it cut at the beginning of the month but still seemed unused to its length, sometimes still reaching for a long lock that wasn’t there anymore.

To be truthful, the vampire had liked Jacob’s hair, but he’d heard Bella telling Victoria when the vampiress commented on it that it was one of the things that Edward liked the most about Jacob. So it’d had to go.

He’d been surprised at how easy it was to convince Jacob to cut it, since Bella said the wolf didn’t cut his hair because Edward loved it so much.

It gave James a little hope, but he kept it in check.

“We’re almost there.” Jacob announced, taking the corner.

They were almost at Goat Falls…

They were going to be alone, in the wilderness, hunting and enjoying themselves in a place that promised to have no cell reception---thus no calls from Edward or anyone else to ruin the moment.

The thought was enough to make James smirk.

Jacob turned to James and grinned. “Nervous?”

The vampire made up his face at that, refusing to admit to the butterflies in his stomach and his doubts.

The grin turned more wolfish. “That’s what I thought.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edward sighed as he sat down.

Once again it’d been useless for him to go and try talk to Bartholomew. The vampire refused to see Edward, much less talk to him and tell him what he needed to know.

For two months now he’d been going every single day to the top steps of that large castle, had been requesting an audience with one of the oldest living vampires, and every day he’d been turned away. He didn’t understand it, didn’t understand why Bartholomew wouldn’t even grant him an audience.

The vampire was getting sick of this, sick of asking, of begging. He missed Jacob too much. Edward just wanted to break into that castle, grab Bartholomew by the throat, and somehow  _force_  the answer out of him.

Bartholomew had been the only vampire he’d heard of who’d been alive during the time of the female vampire and werewolf couple, and if the ancient texts Carlisle and Esme had uncovered were to be trusted, he’d been a close friend of both females.

If there was  _anyone_  who could tell Edward what had truly happened that fateful day when mate had turned against mate, it was this vampire---but he refused to even  _see_  him.

In backup capacity, Esme and Carlisle were still studying the ancient scripts in the dungeons of the Vatican that they had access to thanks to Carlisle being a friend of many of the priests in charge (something Edward was going to have to get Carlisle to tell him about later when this was all over), Rosalie and Emmet were still trying to track down the nomadic tribe in Africa that had a witchdoctor famed for his ability to summon glimpses of the past, and Alice and Jasper were still in Singapore.

The latter had found  _their_  witchdoctor, who was said to be able to grant those of pure intentions a wish. But the problem with that was that Alice and Jasper had to  _prove_  their pure intentions, and that meant communing with the witchdoctor in the deepest of the jungles of Singapore’s rainforest.

With no cell reception.

Alice had asked him before they lost reception to tell Bella and let her know why they wouldn’t be able to call her, but Edward kept forgetting to tell Jacob to inform his friend of this. Their conversations were few and far too short for the vampire’s taste, and he was beginning to get a bit desperate.

He didn’t know how much longer he could hold out on this mission.

And he was beginning to wonder if knowing the truth was truly worth it.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trying the number once more, Bella growled and threw her phone away in anger as she got the ‘the number you have called can’t picked up right now’ answering machine. She’d been trying to call Alice and Jasper for so long now and the phone either rang and rang or it went to that annoying message.

Was she bothering them? Was this their way of getting her to leave them alone? Had they realized her little crush and thought this was the best way to let her down gently?

 _Well, consider me let down gently_. She rubbed at a tear viciously, refusing to cry. She was going to view the hunt, this was something she’d both dreaded and looked forwards to.

Hugging herself she reached for the nighttime goggles she’d snatched from her father’s things and looked up when Victoria’s bare feet scrunched the ground before her.

“Hey Bellsy. Ready?” She asked, sending a little glance behind her at James and Jacob. The wolf was stripping in the bushes, half covered by the shrubbery, and James was pretending to not watch.

Bella nodded, standing up.

Reaching over, Victoria pulled Bella up onto her back and took off towards the highest tree in their area. She climbed up the noble pine in a flash, dodging branches as she went until she was standing on the highest branch that was thick enough to support their weight.

Lowering Bella carefully, the redhead helped her sit down comfortably and then secured the rope around the harness the human was wearing, tying it to the tree. That way Bella could look down at them and see the miles around them as she watched the hunt, and still be safe. If she fell she’d only fall a short distance before the harness she was wearing and the rope attached to it left her swinging effortlessly in the air.

Kinda like short-distance bungee jumping.

“You know…” Bella whispered, looking down at the goggles that’d allow her to see the hunt during the dark hours. “If I was a vampire I wouldn’t have to be such a burden. I—I could  _join_  in the hunt.”

Victoria paused from where she’d been about to descend, curls falling in her face as she turned to look at the human. “Jacob wouldn’t like that.”

“He wouldn’t have a say in it.” Bella whispered again. “It’s my life.”

The vampiress paused, tilting her head slightly before frowning. “You don’t know what it means to be a vampire. Don’t let some romanticized views of it sway your decision.” She flipped her curls behind her shoulder. “I’m not saying I don’t love being a vampire, I’d be lying if I were. I  _love_  this.” Her eyes darkened. “But you give up a lot when you change. I knew I was giving him up, but I did it anyway, and sometimes he’s the only one I regret leaving behind.”

Bella’s eyes widened at the confession. “You were in love with someone before you were turned?”

Victoria looked up, surprised. “Yes. He—he was the sheriff of the town we used to live in. He was married and had a couple of children, and he didn’t love me back, but I loved him. He was the best man I’d ever met, kind, sweet, and with a heart of gold.” Her smile was sad. “He was killed after I was turned.”

“I don’t have anyone like that.” And it hurt Bella to admit that, the image of Alice and Jasper rushing through her mind but she squashed it viciously. “Victoria,  _please_.”

The vampiress looked conflicted for a second, before she shook her head. “Sorry Bella, I can’t. Rule Number One.” And with that she descended before Bella could try and convince her otherwise.

Frowning, Bella realized that she wouldn’t get any different answer from James either. Neither vampire would dare turn her because they didn’t want Jacob mad at them.

But she didn’t have much time to sulk because the hunt had begun. The human girl leaned forwards in the tree and watched below as the vampires and wolf stalked the woods, searching for prey large and strong enough to be a worthy rival, following James, as had been Jacob’s command.

This was to test James, his senses, his strength, and it was also Jacob’s way of helping James see how strong and good he’d gotten and help him with his deteriorated self esteem. This hunt would show James that he was strong once more and could fend for himself.

Bella smiled.

Damn Jake for being so pushy and dastardly conniving, but he  _was_  only trying to look out for them in his own way.

And they all knew it.

It was one of the reasons why they liked him so much.

 _Especially James_.

Bella honestly wasn’t sure how she felt about that. She knew Edward loved Jacob, had always been a hundred percent in support of their relationship, but Edward wasn’t here anymore---and James  _was_.

And James was obviously falling hard for the wolf—if he hadn’t completely fallen already.

And Jacob was attracted on some subconscious level too.

And Bella only wanted Jacob happy.

She watched as James caught wind of something way before the others and took off silently, gracefully, Jacob and Victoria shared an approving look before hurrying after him, suddenly coming across the  _huge_  grizzly that’d been downwind from them and thus they hadn’t been able to smell.

“Be careful you guys.” Bella whispered, tightening the rope on her harness so it held tight as she leaned forward to get a better look, eyes glued on the night-vision goggles. “It’s  _huge_!”

The three circled the angered beast, seeming to toy with it as the creature struck out, enraged and a bit unconcerned despite its desperate situation.

It charged on Victoria and when she rebuffed it easily it seemed disoriented, reevaluating, before taking off at high speed, obviously deciding better to flee.

And the others took chase.

Deep in her stomach Bella felt herself growing queasy, feeling bad for the bear.

_Maybe I_ _**don’t** _ _have what it takes to be a vampire._

The vampires and wolf ran gracefully along the clumsy-in-comparison bear, easily maneuvering it to the spot they’d designated as the killing area beforehand. They cornered it easily, the bear roaring, swinging at them, desperate.

And then as one they attacked, and the bear was no match.

It was beautiful, terrifying, entrancing, sickening, and so many different things Bella couldn’t even pronounce. She forced herself to watch until it was over, watched the moment the bear’s body went still, watched the feeding, watched when they finally pulled away, sated, covered in blood.

She was sickened and exhilarated all at the same time.

She’d finally been let into the inner world of the vampire and the wolf, seen the monster inside each of them, and it didn’t scare her.

When the others finished and Victoria waved in her direction, Bella smiled and waved back, genuine despite the way her body trembled slightly in shock.

She had a lot to think about.

A lot to decide.

Victoria was right.

She didn’t know the truth about being a vampire, and she couldn’t make a decision this important so hastily.

But Bella was beginning to see the truth of the vampires…

…and while it was scary as hell, and at times a little sickening, it didn’t mean the appeal had lessened.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bathed and changed, Jacob laughed as he watched Bella slap Victoria’s butt with the piece of wood she was using as a weapon when the vampiress lost hers. Victoria had continued teaching Bella how to fight, reigning in her strength to make it more even, and Bella, while clumsy in everything else, seemed to have taken to the lessons  _very_  good.

“ _Loser_!” James croaked in his hoarse, painful voice, taunting his sister.

Victoria, rubbing her smarting bottom, stuck her tongue out at her brother before picking up her makeshift staff and starting the match again. “This time, you’re going  _down_.”

Bella laughed. “Sore loser!”

“My butt’s the  _only_  thing sore here.” Victoria laughed as well as they started once again.

The males laughed before sharing a smile, and Jacob quickly looked away, feeling that blush again, reaching for a lock of hair and wincing when he remembered how he’d cut it off.

Sure, it made sparring and such easier, but  _damn_ , he missed his long hair!

“ _Train_?” James rasped, looking at Jacob oddly.

The wolf looked back at him curiously, wondering what the look in his eyes meant. “You want to do it now?”

For some reason James smirked at that as he nodded.

“Ok.” Flipping onto his feet, Jacob rolled his shoulders and neck, warming his muscles, eager. He liked sparring with James.

It started slow, circling each other, intent one of the other, not noticing that Victoria had defeated Bella and the girls were now watching them.

Usually James waited for Jacob to make the first move, but this time he sprung out rapid as a lightning bolt and his shoulder made impact with Jacob, knocking the air out of his system, the shock sending him tumbling to the ground, James following.

And in record, thanks to his surprise attack and temporarily leaving James breathless, James had beaten the wolf. He straddled the wolf’s hips and leaned over him, pinning his arms over his head, their faces painfully close, that smirk deepening on the vampire’s face.

Shocked, confused, heart racing, Jacob looked up into James’ face not exactly sure what was happening or why he wasn’t trying to push him off harder.

And then his eyes widened in horror and he blanched as he realized he was getting  _hard_.

He needed to get the vampire off before he realized how Jacob’s body was reacting to this!

James smirk grew for some reason as he leaned forwards, the action causing his lower body to grin harder into Jacob’s humiliating problem, his face closer than before.

“ _Give in_.”

Jacob blinked. He must have meant ‘give up’. Give up the match. And while Jacob hardly ever surrendered it was of great urgency that he got James off of him. It was only because of some miracle that the vampire hadn’t noticed his hard-on pressing against him.

“Okay, I give up, you won the match.” Jacob then pushed up harder and managed to get James off of him before sitting up and placing his hands as casually as he could on his lap without drawing attention.

“You okay, Jake?” Bella asked, sounding worried as he closed his eyes at the dull pain of his throbbing.

“Yeah.” Jacob nodded, clearing his throat to keep his voice normal.

God, he was embarrassed.

When it finally went down Jacob went to his sleeping bag and sat down on it. It’d been so long since he and Edward---and Edward was gone---and he was teenager…it was to be expected that he’d reacted that way.

It was.

It  _had_  to be.

So deep in his thoughts, Jacob didn’t notice James smirking knowingly at him as the girls sat closer to the fire and chatted deep into the night.


	8. December 24th

**December 24** **th**

Somehow James and Victoria had gotten this long without meeting Charlie Swan, but when Bella’s father had learnt that his charges’ friends were spending the Christmas season alone he’d put down his foot and ordered the two teenagers to invite James and Victoria over for the holidays.

This was going to be something.

Jacob smiled as he helped Charlie finish up in the kitchen. He’d paid his friends at the diner to cook up something big and fancy for them to take home for Christmas Eve dinner, and the wolf couldn’t help but grin at the thought of James and Victoria having to vomit all they were going to have to ingest later.

“People shouldn’t have to be without their families at time like this.” Charlie announced, grabbing the turkey and taking it to the table, which Bella was finishing setting.

Jacob’s smile fell slightly as he turned and looked out of the window, thinking of  _his_  own family. Rachel had gone off to college and his father…well, Billy Black hadn’t tried to contact his only son, not even for the holidays.

_Well, I haven’t tried contacting him either, have I?_

Pushing away the feeling of sadness, Jacob turned at the knock at the door. He chuckled. Apparently the show was about to start.

Going towards the door, Jacob got in time to see Victoria and James in the doorway, each holding a bag with clothes they’d brought with them from the Cullen’s since they’d be spending the whole of the holidays with Bella and Jacob, on Charlie’s insistence.

“You two must be James and Victoria.” Charlie announced, smiling, having opened the door for them. “I’m Police Chief Charlie Swan, Bella’s father, but you can just cal me Charlie. Welcome to our home.”

Victoria’s eyes widened in shock as she gazed up at Charlie.

James looked surprised for a moment before he smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Charlie, for inviting us over for the holidays.” His voice still had the deeper gravelly texture to it, but it didn’t sound painful anymore even though you could hear that it was damaged.

Charlie smiled back. “Any friend of my Bella and Jacob are welcomed in this house.” He stepped aside. “Come in, come in.”

James nudged his sister and she stumbled in after him as they entered the house and the door was closed.

“You know, Bells never gave me your last name.” Charlie announced as he took their coats from them and hanged it on the coat rack.

“Hunter!” Victoria then cleared her throat and almost nudged Charlie in the stomach with how nervous she seemed to be all of a sudden as he helped her out of her coat. “James and Victoria Hunter. I’m Victoria.” She then obviously realized how ridiculous she’d sounded and winced. “Well,  _obviously_  I’d be Victoria.”

Charlie laughed, shaking his head and smiling when his daughter came towards the newcomers and hugged them.

Jacob was intrigued by this development as he watched Victoria gaze at the oblivious Chief Swan. What exactly was this about? He’d seen Victoria around handsome men, she was in her  _element_  around men, and yet with Charlie she seemed as klutzy as  _Bella_.

Bella seemed to notice it too, looking questioningly at the female vampire.

“Hey.” James smiled as he walked towards Jacob.

“Hey.” Jacob smiled back before motioning with his chin towards Victoria who was now calm and collected once more, seeming more like herself as she offered to help Charlie take the rest of the food from the kitchen to the table. “You know what that’s all about?”

“Yeah, actually, I do.” James nodded, leaning against the wall next to Jacob, relaxing. “Bella’s dad just happens to have a strong resemblance to Frank Pepperidge.”

“Frank Pepperidge?” Jacob asked, confused. He hadn’t heard that name before.

“He was the sheriff of the town we used to live in while we were alive.” James announced, folding his arms over his chest. “Married man. Good man. Never realized that Victoria was in love with him.” He paused. “He wasn’t much of a sheriff though, was frightened of the outlaws. They ran the town more than he did.”

“Maybe Charlie’s a descendant?” Jacob asked, intrigued at the story.

“That would be ironic.” James shook his head as he heard Charlie laughing in the kitchen. “She was best-friends with _his_  daughter as well.”

They stayed where they were in silence as Jacob joined James by leaning against the wall. He’d miscalculated the distance and ended up leaning so close to the vampire that their shoulders touched, but for some reason he didn’t pull away, just took comfort in the cold of that shoulder.

“So,  _Cullen_  call you yet to say Good Christmas or something?” There was something odd in James’ voice.

“It’s  _Merry_ Christmas.” Jacob slanted a look in his direction before looking away. “And  _no_ , he hasn’t called yet. I tried calling him earlier but his phone was set to voicemail.” There was a moment’s silence as he shrugged and looked down at his shoes. “He’ll probably call later.”

“Yeah, whatever.” James looked away, seeming sullen.

Not liking seeing him like that, Jacob bumped his shoulder and smiled when the vampire turned to look at him questioningly. “If you let Charlie see you with a frown he’ll be, as Mike says it, ‘all up in your business’.” He chuckled at the chance of using that phrase. “He’s very much into the whole Christmas Cheer concept.”

“Duly noted.” James grinned, his moment of brooding passed.

They were silent for a moment, just smiling at each other.

James suddenly opened his mouth.

“I’m supposed to be calling you guys to the table.” Bella’s voice interrupted whatever the vampire would have said, coming towards them, looking disturbed. She turned to James. “I think you’re sister has a crush on my dad. It’s disturbing.” She suddenly giggled softly and shook her head. “Utterly,  _freakishly_  amusing to watch, but still disturbing nonetheless.”

There was a pause.

Bella turned a concerned frown on Jacob. “I didn’t look and act like that when I used to be around Alice, right?” Seeing that Jacob was trying to find a safe answer to that, she blanched. “How embarrassing.”

With a hand on her forehead, the human girl turned around and walked back to the dining room as if in a horrified trance.

Jacob kinda felt bad for not being a better liar as he watched her go.

Feeling James bumping his shoulder, he turned to look at him.

“Let’s go.” James said, motioning with his head towards the direction Bella had taken off in.

Jacob nodded and followed silently.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The dinner had gone by fairly well, with Charlie only asking the sibling vampires a few questions. Mostly everything went smoothly since everyone had come up with a story and memorized it as a team so that they wouldn’t say anything to contradict anyone.

James and Victoria were orphaned friends of the Cullens, who were staying at their house and house-sitting for them until the Cullens returned from Carlisle’s sick dad’s side.

“What do you plan on doing when the Cullens return home?” Charlie asked over a can of beer.

Bella began to choke on her bite of turkey, and Jacob had had to slap her on the back repeatedly to keep her from choking to death.

“You okay Bells?” Charlie asked his daughter, concerned.

She smiled weakly at him, taking a long sip of water. “You know me dad.”

He smiled tenderly at her. “Yeah. I do.”

Victoria gave a little romantic-sounding sigh.

Bella sent the vampiress a look that was a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

Charlie, oblivious to this, turned to James, expectant.

The vampire sent a look in Jacob’s direction before finally returning his attention to Charlie. “My sister and I have been wondering that, it’s only a matter of time before the Cullens return.” He paused for a second. “Our plan had been to leave when they did so, but now we’re not too sure.”

Jacob was silent, tense, and he didn’t know  _why_. He exchanged a glance with Bella before lowering his gaze so that it was on his half-eaten food, pushing some peas around the plate listlessly, listening attentively to the words James was speaking.

Bella and the wolf had wondered sometimes what would happen when the Cullens returned. The two would talk about it when it was only them, and while the deal had been that James and Victoria would leave because James would be healed by then---neither Bella nor Jacob wanted to see the vampires go.

He tightened his grip on his fork, bending the material slightly, waiting for James to finish what he was saying.

“We think, we think we might want to stick around for a bit.” James announced.

Jacob’s gaze rose at that and he turned to look at the vampire.

James was studiously looking at Charlie. “There’s a large abandoned home for sale on the outskirts of town that Victoria and I saw the first time we came here. We liked it.” He paused, lowering his gaze, playing with his hardly eaten food. “Do you know if it’s still for sale?”

“Arched doorway? Overgrown garden with a willow tree near the back?” Charlie asked, and when Victoria nodded her head he nodded as well. “That’s the old McCormick place. I know it, yeah, it’s still for sale. When old Mike McCormick died his kids put the place up for sale since they live in the city but no one’s offered for it.” He paused. “Not many people choose to move to Forks.”

Victoria turned to look at Bella and smiled.

Bella smiled back genuinely, reaching for the vampiress’ hand and squeezing it in excitement. “You’re really planning on staying?  _Both_  of you?” her grin grew. “Please tell me you’re staying!”

“That’s the plan.” Victoria responded, giving a little smile. “But we’d like a place, and things, of our own.”

“I could talk to Micky and get him to lower the price a bit for you.” Charlie offered gallantly to the blonde vampire who still had yet to look up from his food. “They’ll be desperate to get rid of the place, and you’re the first buyer they’d have had interested in it ever since it went up on the market.”

“Thank you.” James nodded. “We will be able to buy it at asking price though, whatever it may be.” He faltered. “We have money, uh, left to us after our parents death, but have been unable to access it until recently.”

He still refused to look in Jacob’s direction.

It irritated the wolf slightly. “When were you going to tell me this?” He asked.

James finally looked at him. “It was my decision---mine and my sister’s.”

“Why didn’t you at least tell us you were thinking about it?” The wolf asked, not understanding the secrecy. It wasn’t that he wasn’t happy they were staying—he  _was_ , he just didn’t understand why they hadn’t told them anything.

Bella and him had been trying to prepare themselves to be able to let go of their vampire friends when they eventually told them they were leaving.

Jacob was kinda irrationally pissed that all of that prepping had been for nothing.

“Maybe we don’t have to run  _everything_  by you!” James snapped and then sighed, running his hand over his face. “I didn’t mean to say it like that.”

Charlie looked from Jacob to James and back again, obviously curious and intrigued with this subplot.

“We won’t---we’re not---.” James growled, standing up. “Excuse me.” And with that he stalked from the table.

Annoyed, confused, and a little worried, Jacob got up to go after him when the vampire stormed out of the house and slammed the door shut behind him, but that was when his cellular rung. Looking down at it he saw Edward’s number flashing on the LCD screen.

Torn, Jacob looked at the ringing phone and then at the door before shoving his phone in Bella’s direction. “Answer it, tell him I’ll call him later.” And with that he stormed out of the house after the confusing blonde vampire.

He followed James’ trail easily, which meant either the vampire hadn’t thought he’d come after him or he’d wanted to be found. Either way Jacob found him in the back yard, looking up at an old oak tree, apparently considering kicking it.

“What’s your problem?” Jacob wanted to know, not meanly, shucking his hands in his pockets. “You just blew up in there.”

“It’s nothing.” James turned his back on him. “ _Nothing_.”

“It  _better_  not be ‘nothing’.” Jacob narrowed his eyes. “I just blew off Edward’s phone call for this.”

James froze for a second before turning, surprise mixing with disbelief in his golden eyes. “You blew of loverboy’s most anticipated phone call just to come talk to me?”

The wolf nodded, hugging himself, wondering what the big deal was.

The vampire was silent before his gaze lowered. “Why does it bother you so much that we’re staying?”

“Bother me…?” Jacob frowned, becoming more and more confused. “Where are you getting this from?”

“Oh come  _on_!” James suddenly snapped, gaze raising to meet his furiously, and a little hurt. “You obviously weren’t jumping for joy back in there when you heard the news! What? The moment  _Edward_  returned you wanted to kick me out? You won’t have anymore use for me? Is  _that_  what this is all about?”

“Huh?” Jacob asked, confused, not exactly sure what one thing had to do with another. “I don’t know  _what_  you’re talking about! And for your information I was  _relieved_  when I heard you were saying! But I was also ticked because we know you’re stronger than you’re letting on, and Bella and I have been prepping ourselves to be able to let go of you and Victoria because we thought you were leaving!” Jacob snapped back, eyes dark. “Bella made me read a damned book about parents who had ‘separation issues’ for crissake! It was  _torture!_ ” He threw his hands in the air. “And I could have avoided that if you’d just told me you weren’t planning on leaving!”

There was silence in the Swan’s back yard as James just looked at Jacob in silence before a grin suddenly split his face. “Bell made you read a  _self-help_  book?”

“Don’t rub it in. It’s not funny.” And yet Jacob was grinning as well.

The two males exchanged looks and then began to laugh.

And all was well between them once more.

“Since when do you have money?” Jacob wanted to know once the laughter had died down.

“We’re vampires. We’ve had a long time for our trust funds to grow. Plus,” James shrugged. “I once ate a guy who told me to invest in cellular phones, that they were the wave of the future.” There was a pause. “He was right.”

The wolf didn’t know whether to chuckle or scowl, so he just sighed and shook his head. “About eating…”

“One Rule.” James sighed. “Jake. We  _know_.”

“I know.” The wolf agreed. “I just wanted to remind you.”

“Of course.” The vampire ran his hands over his hair. “You wouldn’t be you if you weren’t stressing that one godforsaken rule until it gets annoying.”

Jacob just sent him a grin. “We good then?”

“Yeah.” James chuckled softly. “We’re good.”

“You mind if we go back inside then?” Jacob asked. “Unlike  _you_  I actually eat the food on that table, and I’m  _hungry_.” He continued as they turned and made their way towards the front yard. “And anyway, I have to call Edward back.”

James was silent as they walked towards the front of the house and entered through the front door.

Jacob noticed, but decided not to comment.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_‘Sam has replaced us on guard duty with Embry n Quill.’_

The text message began later that night.

‘ _U probly already no that tho.’_

Jake nodded, although he knew that the sender couldn’t see him. He’d noticed how lately the Clearwater’s scents had been replaced with that of his two former friends.

‘ _Sam not happy with situation, keeping a closer I on U n ur leeches. The pack not happy with him, read our thoughts, no what happened. But they’re still w/ him.’_

A scowl darkened Jacob’s face as he remembered what he’d been told when he’d realized that a lone wolf was waiting for him in the Cullen’s property. The wolf had transformed and told him everything, about what Sam was planning and what had happened on Halloween Night.

And how the Clearwater siblings were able to keep some thoughts hidden from the pack, so it was safe for the person to tell him what was going on.

To warn him.

Jacob couldn’t help but find it odd how he and now the Clearwaters had been able to keep their thoughts from Sam. What did this mean? Was this an evolution of the pack or was it something else?

Or was it because Sam had never been meant to be the Alpha and their inner wolves were beginning to rebel?

Conflicted over that question and its maybe answer, Jacob returned his attention to the text message.

‘ _Keep alert, nvr no wen he’s gonna try another lil test n I can’t warn u on time.’_

“What’s making you so ugly?” James asked, looking up from where he’d been watching the late Flintstones reruns on Jacob’s small television.

Sending the vampire a glare, the wolf passed him the phone and let him read the message.

James was silent before frowning. “Our little informant is risking a lot by doing this.” He paused. “Not bad… _for a dog_.”

The ‘dog’ raised an eyebrow at that.

James just smirked at him, passing him back his phone. “I’m entertained by these  _Flintstones_.” He smirked as he watched Bamm-Bamm------bamm-bamming. “You look nothing like him. Why Bell would choose his costume for you is beyond me.”

“You and I both.” The wolf agreed.

There was a moment’s silence as Jacob texted his voluntary informant a reply and then placed his phone on the bedside table.

“So…” James turned so that he was looking at the television once more. “How did your conversation with Cullen go?”

In the middle of getting under his covers, Jacob paused for a moment. “I couldn’t get through to him.”

“Pity.”

And for some reason he doubted the sincerity of that coolly spoken word. “I’m going to sleep now.”

“I’m going to watch some more.” He kept his back to Jacob. “Good night.”

“Night.” Closing his eyes, Jacob briefly wondered how Victoria and Bell were doing with  _their_  sleepover, before falling asleep.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jacob’s eyes flew open.

He’d been having the worst nightmare. Well, to be truthful, first he’d had his complimentary and obligatory wet dream starring his favorite vampire. He  _was_  a teenaged wolf, both the human and the animal side of him craved sex, and his imagination seemed to take control in the sleeping hours to give him some relief, no matter  _how_  unsatisfying it was compared to the real deal.

And then the dream and shifted and turned into a nightmare. And in it Edward had been torn in half right before his eyes and Jacob hadn’t been able to do anything to save him.

The wolf closed his eyes again, now awake, telling his heart to beat slower, that Edward was fine.

He  _had_  to be fine.

Jacob would  _kill_  him if the vampire got hurt or worse before coming back to Forks.

“You okay there, wolfie?” James voice spoke, and Jacob’s pillow vibrated beneath him.

Jacob’s eyes flew open again as he realized how he was sleeping and pulled away, horrified and embarrassed. He’d been sleeping with his head on James’ chest! He’d been using the vampire as a  _pillow_!

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” He squeaked, jolting into a sitting position. “I was all over you!”

“You were  _sleeping on me_ , there’s a difference between  _that_  and being  _all over_  someone.” James grinned teasingly, looking up from the book of legends he’d been reading. “I might show you the difference some time.”

Jacob growled, embarrassed, knowing his was blushing at the teasing.

James grinned, amused, before his face went pensive. “And to answer your question: you’re warm. When I touch you it’s the only time I feel that. And I like warmth.”

The wolf didn’t know what to say.

And then the vampire was laughing evilly. “Anyway,  _that_  was not embarrassing.” His grin promised Jacob horror to come. “Did you know that you hump in your sleep when you’re horny?”

Jacob’s eyes widened in horror.

No.

James  _had_  to be lying!

“I don’t know  _what_  you were dreaming of, or  _who_ , but you proved me right with the dog reference!” James chuckled evilly. “You were humping against me like---.”

“Shut up!” Jacob cried out, throwing himself back down on the bed and turning so that his back was facing the laughing vampire. “Enough! Good night!”

“ _Sweet dreams_.” James snickered.

Jacob just groaned, closing his eyes as tightly as he could. This was the most embarrassing thing to have ever happened to him. He’d  _humped_  his best male friend!

He was  _never_  going to live this down.

 _Ever_.

Jacob groaned once more.

It was going to be a long… _long_  night.


	9. January

January was a month of changes. James, Victoria, Bella and Jacob had gone to the vampire’s bank and the human and wolf discovered that the siblings were just as rich as the Cullens (maybe even a bit richer since they didn’t waste their money on fancy cars and clothes since they’d been nomadic until their friendship).

  


 

They’d taken out the money necessary for the large McCormick house and bought it. The whole of the month was, incredibly enough, spent in decoration and rebuilding. Mostly every piece of furniture in the house was dry-rotted, as were a lot of the walls, so they’d had to dump  _everything_ , and paid some humans to redo some of the walls and run fresh electric wiring.

Once the major reparations were done, the boys took over, working after Jacob and Bella got out of school. They let out their inner repairmen (who weren’t overly professional), and did the finishing touches.

Victoria and Bella were on shopping sprees.

The siblings had bought a car for themselves and the two girls spent the majority of their time in Port Angeles, looking for decorations for the house, furniture, the works. Every day they’d return late into the night only after the shops had closed with the back of the car filled with shopping bags.

This had been James and Victoria’s first house, first  _home,_  and now that they’d caught the house-fever they were enjoying this quasi-human existence---though they’d never admit it to the human and wolf.

Bella and Jacob were given their own rooms in the ‘Hunter Home’, as the people in town were now calling it, using the fake surname Victoria had thought up for them, thinking herself quite clever. Each was spacious and lovely, with a lot of sunshine and potential, and the vampires hadn’t made their desire for their friends to move in after graduation a secret.

And the human and wolf were considering it.

_Seriously_.

\---------------------

By the beginning of February the house was finished and a sight to behold. James and Victoria were still the new curiosity of Forks and people wondered  _why_  they seemed to like to keep to themselves instead of socializing with others, then their fabricated story about their being friends of the Cullens somehow developed into them being  _family_ of the Cullens (stories always seemed to change while going through the grapevine) and then the townsfolk had just shrugged it off an announced that being antisocial must just run in the family.

Oh, yeah.

Another thing had happened during February.

Their Clearwater informer saved their lives.

Apparently a group of those after James and Victoria had arrived in Forks stealthily…a  _large_  group. The wolves had known, but figuring out their purpose, and since they hadn’t killed anyone as yet, Sam had ordered the wolves to stay back and see what happened.

Clearwater had been able to send a text warning Jacob in time for them to send a kicking and protesting Bella (“I can fight too!”) home with a warning to protect her father then (it was the only way to get her to safety), before readying themselves, knowing that their pursuers already knew that they were living on the outside of town in the newly repaired home and were on their way.

“They better not damage my home.” Was all Victoria grumbled as James sensed the approach of the numerous vampires come to kill him long before even Jacob.

James’ senses  _had_  returned, and as he’d later admitted to the wolf, they’d gotten  _sharper_  with Jacob’s training.

The twenty odd vampires had descended on the Hunter Home with ferocity, but had been surprised that their prey were waiting for them. The battle had been long and fierce (with Victoria insisting they lead their attackers out into the forest to save her home), and the males had done as she desired.

In the forest the shadows played tricks and the sounds of carnage echoed throughout like an echo of a terrifyingly realistic horror movie. They were strong, the three, but they were vastly outnumbered.

And then Jacob sensed it.

He’d looked up in time to see Clearwater and sibling rushing towards them in their wolf forms, fangs bared, snarls vicious, as they descended upon the invading vampires.

James, Jacob and Victoria exchanged a surprised glance before returning their attentions to their own fight now that the battle a little more even.

When the last of the invading vampires was torn to pieces the five survivors stood and eyed each other, a new understanding falling upon the small group. They knew what the wolves risked by disobeying Sam’s commands (and Jacob was shocked that Sam and Leah had been  _able_  to disobey their Alpha, that was something that was supposed to be  _impossible_  for a wolf to do), and James and Victoria nodded their thanks to the wolves.

“Thank you.” Jacob told his once comrades, shifted back to human-form and wearing the tights he’d put on to shift in because he found that  _they_  didn’t tear with the shift. “We are grateful for your help.”

Leah snorted, looking away.  _We’re wolves. We fight vampires. We protect others from vampires…_  her gaze went to James and Victoria, who couldn’t hear this conversation. Only wolves could.  _Even if it’s leeches we have to protect._

Seth seemed to be smiling largely, the wolf panting.  _That was incredible! I didn’t know vampires could do that to their own kind! Did you see the way the chick tore off the dude’s head like it was nothing? Way cool!_

Leah looked impressed as well, but determined not to admit it.

“Go, before he realizes what you did.” Victoria told the wolves, causing them to look at her.

They turned to leave.

“You two!” Victoria called back, looking reluctant but determined.

The wolf siblings turned and looked at her warily.

“I don’t do this often so feel honored.” Victoria frowned. “But you helped my brother and I tonight. If there’s a time you’ll need help, we’ll be there to repay this debt.” She winced. “You have my word.”

_Is a leech’s word worth anything_? And yet Leah seemed more amused than anything else as she nodded and her brother and her ran away.

“You just indebted us to  _dogs_.” James announced in a curious voice. “Dogs who would normally want us dead.”

“They risked their lives for us, James.” Victoria answered, turning to him. “They don’t want us dead.”

The blonde sighed and looked around him. “Vampires who drink animal blood, risk themselves for humans, and happily fight alongside wolves.” He shifted his half mused glance to Jacob and smirked. “What  _is it_  about this town?”

The wolf shrugged, returning the smirk. “The water?”

James grinned, realizing that Jacob remembered their first conversation all that time ago.

“You should go home, Jake.” Victoria sighed, running a hand through her hair and looking at the mess of bodies around them. “You have school tomorrow.” She shook her head. “James and I will finish this and get rid of the bodies.”

Jacob hesitated and then nodded, realizing that this was the smartest move. “Okay, I’ll just get my clothes from your place. Night.”

“Night.” Victoria called, already heading towards the closest body.

“Jake!” James called, jogging up towards the retreating wolf, stopping when the wolf turned to face him. “Be careful, okay?” The vampire looked away, his gaze landed on a gruesomely gnawed body. “There might be others out there and----yeah----so be careful.”

Jacob smiled and then surprised them both by hugging James close. “You too.” And with that he let go and turned, walking away and leaving one happily smiling vampire behind.

\-------------------------

With March came something wonderful and magical called ‘Spring Break’.

In it the group of four either spent all their time at James and Victoria’s, or at Bella’s. Mostly they only went over Bella’s to watch Victoria stumble and make a fool of herself whenever a oblivious Charlie was around. Even Bella had seemed to have gotten used to the crush her friend had on her father, and had even mentioned to Jacob one night that it was comical to think that her father might be a little ‘too young’ for her best friend.

Which was technically true, considering that while Victoria looked around nineteen she was much,  _much_  older than that.

“We should go to the reopening of the Sword’s Stone.” Victoria was saying as they sat in the Diner, the two vampires keeping their human and wolf company. The good people of Forks were used to seeing the four everywhere together, and had begun to murmur about the Cullens having been replaced.

Jacob ignored those murmurs.

“Isn’t that tempting luck?” Bella wanted to know with a little grin, looking up from her piece of pie. She was obviously referring to their first and last disastrous venture to said nightclub.

“Oh come on.” Victoria made a face. “Other than the death and bloodshed it was a helluva night! You even danced!”

Bella smiled slightly. “It  _was_  fun.”

“Oh god.” Jacob groaned, turning to James who was sitting next to him and was resting his arm on the back of their seat, the cool of his arm calming to Jacob’s back. “They’re agreeing again.”

“You have to admit it, wolfie, it  _was_  a fun night.” James didn’t seem to be on Jacob’s side on this. “I think the fighting made it even  _nicer_.”

“ _You_   _would_.” Bella scoffed on the other side of the table.

James grinned and snapped his teeth at her jokingly.

“I’d say  _‘bite me’_ , but knowing you you’d take it like an invitation.” Bella laughed.

Jacob opened his mouth to add his own two cents to the discussion when he felt it, it was something naggingly familiar, a feeling he knew he should recognize but yet couldn’t. Brown eyes narrowed as he turned in the plush diner seat and looked around, trying to distinguish what the feeling was.

Nothing seemed out place.

No one was even looking in their direction.

Shrugging, he sighed and turned his attention back to the table.

“You picking up on something?” James asked, looking a little perturbed at the thought of the wolf sensing something that  _he_  hadn’t.

The girls stopped giggling, looking around them warily.

“I thought I had.” Jacob admitted, looking at his plate with a frown. “But I don’t see anything. It—it must be my imagination.”

But it wasn’t.

And it was  _bugging_  him.

“Maybe we should go back?” Victoria asked, rubbing her arms in unease. “Maybe your wolf is warning you about something.”

“Tor’s right.” Bella nodded, standing, pulling out enough money to pay for her tab. “We should probably spend the night over at my house, just in case---my dad.”

“Yeah.” Victoria quickly agreed. “If something happened we wouldn’t want Charlie unprotected.”

“Of  _course_  not.” James sneered brotherly at the redhead. “And we  _all_  know you have his best interest in mind.”

“Shut  _up_  James.” Victoria pouted, and it was obvious that if she could blush, she’d be doing it right about now.

Putting down enough money for  _his_  tab, Jacob stood and grabbed his leather jacket, slinging it on and running his fingers through his short hair, not exactly sure why he was noticing its length all of a sudden when he’d finally gotten used to it.

“Why don’t we swing by the house first to get some clothes and stuff?” James asked as he got up and flung a casual arm around Jacob’s shoulders as they exited the diner together and went to stand in front of Victoria and James’ car, and Jacob’s motorcycle.

That feeling grew more intense, and Jacob’s eyes narrowed further as he looked around him in the darkness, seeing nothing but the darkened parking lot and the people inside the diner enjoying themselves.

With his free hand, James ran his thumb over the wolf totem he never took off. It seemed now like such a part of him that it never occurred to Jacob to ask for it back, despite the fact that it was  _his_  necklace and  _his_  totem.

“Okay, so we go home, get a change of clothes, some books or something, and then we all go back to Charlie’s.” Victoria recapped, opening the driver’s side and sliding into the plush seats, leaving the door open so she could hear the answer.

“Yeah, that’s about it.” James nodded, not making a move to join them. It wasn’t surprising though, considering that he’d ridden with Jacob on the motorcycle on the way here.

Bella slid into the front passenger’s seat and closed her door, rubbing her arms nervously and looking around.

“We should probably go now.” Jacob announced, still uneasy with the intensity of his wolf’s prowling within. Something was happening right now, but he didn’t know  _what_ , and somehow knew that he  _should_  know.

“After you, wolfie.” James motioned towards the bike.

Pulling on his helmet, Jacob straddled the Ducati James had bought him as a thank you gift for helping him regain his strength and senses (and threatened to beat the crap outta Jacob if he didn’t accept it), starting and revving the engine. “You getting on or what?”

James grinned. “You impatient  _animal_.”

Laughing, Jacob waited until James had straddled the motorcycle behind him and grabbed on before burning the rubber and speeding out of the parking lot, Victoria and Bella behind them.

He could feel the sensation on his back, no less intense than it had been before.

They sped to James and Victoria’s and went inside, Jacob and James standing by the front and back entrances, both keeping an eye around them just in case danger  _was_  coming. The girls hurriedly grabbed clothes and something they’d need, before hurrying back down and locking up the house, returning to the vehicles.

Jacob placed a hand to his heart, feeling his wolf go desperate within, whining, snarling. It’s reactions were beginning to frighten him.

“Let’s go.” James announced and they did, speeding to Charlie’s home and parking outside, surprising and pleasing the police chief with their presence. Bella’s father had grown to care deeply for the ‘orphaned’ siblings ever since they’d spent the Christmas holidays with them.

“There’s a game tonight.” Charlie told James, big Styrofoam hand already in his arms, ready to cheer his team.

“I’ll get the beer.” James, who passed for 21, headed towards the kitchen. Charlie was the only other human other than Bella that he’d admitted to not seeing as a food source, instead seeing as a person. And although he teased and taunted his sister about her attraction to Bella’s father, James had admitted to Jacob once that if Charlie were a vampire he would approve of the match.

Charlie and the rag-tag pack somehow managed to cram themselves in the small living room and watched the game. The police chief was fully into it, but the other three were only half paying attention, mostly alert and ready in case something should happen.

Jacob felt his wolf whining, his stomach cramping, as the game progressed.

He finally stood.

James stood as well. “What is it?”

Jake smiled weakly. “I’m going to the kitchen to get something to drink.”

“Oh.” James looked embarrassed as he sat back down.

Charlie slid a look in their direction and grinned, shaking his head before returning his attention to the television set.

Heading towards the kitchen, Jacob went to the sink and poured himself a glass of water, looking out of the window at the darkness rather listlessly before his wolf gaze landed on a figure in the shadows...

…and he promptly went into shock.

It---It  _couldn’t_  be…

Could it?

The glass slid from his lifeless fingers and shattered into a millions pieces on the ground at his feet.

Was that…?

Before anyone could react to the sound he was out of the kitchen door into the night, faltering as he stared at the person leaning against a tree, looking at him silently.

Suddenly it all made sense.

The wolf didn’t even hear the people calling his name and hurrying to the kitchen.

All he could see, all he knew, was the vampire watching him with a slight smile on his face.

When he finally found his voice it was breathless with disbelief.

“ _Edward_.”

  



	10. Edward

“ _Edward…”_

Jacob was frozen in his spot, looking upon his boyfriend, the boyfriend he hadn’t seen in oh-so-long, emotions conflicting violently within him, agitating his wolf even more than it already was.

Behind him he could sense his pack and Charlie, standing crowded into the kitchen door, all stopping once they’d realized  _why_  he’d bolted outside.

Edward, the reason for the uproar, gave Jacob a nervous smile as he pushed away from the tree he’d been resting against, apparently trying to get the courage to come inside and make his presence known. “Hey Jake.”

“You’re---really here?” The wolf asked, hating the desperation in his voice as he asked that. But he had to ask the question. He’d had too many dreams similar to this that’d left him frustrated and depressed in the morning.

“Yeah.” Edward smiled, taking a hesitant step towards him. “I’m back.”

Jacob could sense James pushing passed the group at the door and coming down the steps behind him, stopping and giving him the space he needed yet close as well if he needed him. Tension was radiating off of the vampire and yet his presence comforted and soothed Jacob enough to keep his composure, to keep from humiliating himself and breaking down in front of everyone.

But the wolf didn’t shift his gaze on his best male friend, didn’t question the way he could sense him so easily as if he had eyes on the back of his head, and instead took a step towards Edward, and then another.

And another.

And another.

And then his fist met the vampire’s jaw, the force of the blow causing Edward’s face to swing right.

“ _Seven months_.” Jacob seethed, trying to keep the tears out of his voice but it was choked nonetheless as he clenched his fists at his side, chest heaving. “You left me and were gone for  _seven fucking months_  Edward!”

“I’m know.” The vampire whispered, head bowed. “But I needed to do this.” His voice lowered. “I’m  _sorry_.”

“Seven  _months_!” Jacob snarled the last word, feeling his body tremble as he voice hitched on a note. “ _Seven months!”_

And suddenly Edward’s cool was around him as he hugged him, holding him desperately close. “I  _know_.” The vampire’s voice was desperate. “I  _know_.”

Jacob’s hands twitched at his side as he stood stiff, before his wolf and his pent up emotions got the best of him and his arms went around Edward tightly, burying his face in the vampire’s neck as silent tears fell hotly down his fear. “This doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven you.”

“I know.” Edward whispered, holding him closer, pressing a kiss to Jacob’s neck, inhaling his scent almost as desperately as an addict ingested his or her drug of choice. The vampire’s arms tightened around Jacob and he trembled slightly. “I  _missed_  you. Every day I wanted to come back, wanted to see your face.”

“Why didn’t you?” Jacob whispered against the cold skin.

“I’ve always been a masochist, don’t you always tell me that?” Edward asked in a weak attempt at humor before sighing. “I needed---I needed to know, Jake. I’m sorry, but I  _needed_  to.”

And Jacob couldn’t really hate Edward for it. If the vampire had just sat down and told him instead of going off into the middle of the night he’d have left with him to figure out all of what was going on with them.

 _But if things hadn’t happened the way they had I’d never have met James, and Victoria._  And his stomach went queasy at the thought.

It was thanks to Edward that circumstances had lead to Jacob protecting and befriending the once carnivorous vampires.

The thought shocked Jacob momentarily, and he didn’t notice Charlie, Bella, and Victoria leaving to give them more privacy.

“Did you find the answers you were looking for?” He asked, still speaking against the vampire’s skin, his lips brushing against the side of Edward’s throat as he spoke.

“We…we will talk about that later.” The vampire sounded so tired. “I just want to stay like this for a little bit longer.” There was a moment’s pause. “Can I?”

_Oh god, yes!_

Jacob nodded desperately, closing his eyes tighter, unable to believe that Edward was back, that he was  _here_ , that they were  _together_  again.

Edward sighed a contented sound.

“As much as I hate to interrupt this Kodak Moment…” James’ voice was deep and gravelly. “I think I’m going to puke if I don’t.”

“Who are  _you_?” Edward snarled.

But Jacob was laughing against Edward’s skin before pushing away from his boyfriend and turning sideways so that he could see both vampires, noticing that both had dark expressions and were glaring at each other. “Edward, I’d like you to meet one of my closest friends, James. James,  _this_  is Edward.”

“So I guessed.” James drawled, folding his arms over his chest in false indifference. “You could have hit him harder, you know. It  _was_   **seven**  months.”

Edward’s eyes narrowed.

Jacob bit down on his bottom lip to keep from grinning. “Yeah, I probably should have.” His gaze then turned to Edward and he allowed himself to grin. “Maybe later.”

For a moment Edward looked at him blankly before a smile curled the corner of his lips.

There was a growl from James.

Jacob turned to look at him in confusion, and a little worry. “Is there something wrong?”

The blonde vampire’s eyes were narrowed. “Give me some time alone, a piece of paper, sturdy pencil, and I’ll give you a  _list_.”

Not exactly sure what was going on but amused at the same time, Jacob tilted his head and caught James’ golden gaze with his own, smile growing soft.

James slowly returned it.

There was a growl from  _Edward_.

Jacob turned to look at him in confusion as well.

What was with all the growling all of a sudden?

Was this a vampire thing?

His phone vibrated in his pants pocket and he looked at it.

It was a text message.

Entering it he frowned.

_Sam took Quill n Embry off guard duty n didn put n-e 1 else n ther place. Don’t no wat he’s planin. Keep an I open._

“Is something wrong?” Edward asked.

“Is it from Clearwater?” James asked.

Jacob nodded in James’ direction.

Edward’s eyes narrowed. “Clearwater? As in the Clearwater’s from the  _pack_?” Confusion was clear in his golden gaze. “Why would they be texting you?”

“A lot happens in seven months, Cullen.” James answered with a sneer, going to stand behind Jacob and resting his chin on the wolf’s shoulder, gazing down at the text. “Hmmm. Wonder why they’re pulling out the bumbling, horribly obvious spies?”

“I’m wondering the same.” Jacob muttered, texting a thanks to their informant.

“They’ve been a bit lax ever since the fight with the coven.” James offered. “Maybe he’s suspecting some of his own helped us?”

The wolf turned his face so that he was looking at the vampire, bringing their faces close. “That would be bad.”

James was right, ever since a large group of the vampires who’d once belonged to James’ coven had hunted him down to Forks in February and attacked, with Seth and Leah coming to join the fight despite Sam’s order for none of the pack to interfere, the ‘spying’ had become lax. It was as if they weren’t even truly trying to hide their presence anymore.

Or maybe Quill and Embry just really  _sucked_  at discreet surveillance.

“Go tell Victoria and Bella.” Jacob put away his phone.

James hesitated, his body stiffening, before pulling away. “Sure, anything you say, wolfie. Don’t stay out here too long though, we don’t know what Sam’s up to.” Sending an unreadable look in Edward’s direction, James shucked his hands in his jeans’ pockets and stalked back into the house.

There was silence for a moment before Jacob turned back to Edward.

The bronze-haired vampire had a troubled expression. “Who was that?”

“James.” Jacob frowned slightly. “I just introduced you two.”

“He’s a vampire.”

“So is his sister.” Jacob frowned deeper. “So are  _you_.”

For some reason that darkened the troubled look on Edward’s face. “You have two  _vampires_  in Bella’s home? How did you meet them? Why didn’t you tell them about me?”

“When? During the  _two_  minute phone calls?” Jacob snapped, annoyed at the line of questioning.

Edward’s gaze lowered. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop saying that. It doesn’t change anything.” The wolf sighed, running his hand over his short, spiky hair, realizing that he still resented Edward for leaving. But that didn’t mean he had to snap at him like this, Jake had matured during his lover’s absence, and he needed to prove that to both of them.

“You cut your hair.” Edward’s voice was soft.

Freezing in the act of rubbing his hair, Jacob blinked at that before nodding, realizing that when Edward had left it’d still been long. “It got in the way of things, and so James suggested I cut it.” He grinned sheepishly. “It took a long time to get used to it short though, my hair’s been long since I was a kid.”

“I liked your hair long.” There was s sad, wistful sound to that voice.

And Jacob hated it.

He didn’t want to hurt Edward.

God.

The vampire had just  _returned_. This wasn’t supposed to be filled with resentment and awkward, confusing moments. Jacob  _loved_  the vampire, but so many things had happened since they’d last been together, both had changed through so many different situations, and it was like the beginning of their relationship all of again.

As if they were going to have to get to know each other once more.

“I could re-grow it, if you want me to.” He whispered, letting the vampire know in his own way that his opinion mattered.

That brought a small smile to Edward’s face, though he didn’t speak.

“So, I guess we  _both_  have a lot to tell the other, huh?” Jake asked, laughing nervously, eyes on the ground.

“Yeah.” Edward nodded. “But not tonight.”

“No, not tonight.” The wolf agreed.

There was a moment’s silence.

And then they were reaching for each other, hands clenching on fabric, mouths clashing greedily, eyes closing on instinct as the vampire was pushed up against the tree, pinned there by a hungry wolf who devoured his mouth while hands explored and lingered.

“I love you.” Edward whispered between kisses, voice breathless as Jacob’s knee came up between his thighs, brushing him.

Jacob kissed him harder.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A hand coming down on James’ shoulder caused him to jump in surprise and tear his dark gaze from the kitchen window, tear it away from where Jake had Edward Cullen pinned to the goddamned  _tree_ , kissing the daylights out of him.

The blonde vampire was surprised to see that that arm was attached to  _Charlie_ , surprised that the human had managed to get this close to him unnoticed.

Apparently he’d been glaring  _that_  intently at the couple.

“And so he returned.” Charlie’s face was blank, his gaze on the pair.

“Was bound to happen.” James responded dispassionately, returning his gaze to Jacob, who’d buried his hands in Edward’s bronze, messy hair. “I was expecting this any day.” His eyes darkened along with his expression. “Doesn’t mean I like it.”

“You know, I always wanted Jake for Bella. I love him like a son and wanted him to be it by law.” Charlie surprised the vampire by admitted. “I thought that his interest in the male species was just a passing phase, but even with Edward gone…” the human paused before shaking his head and sighing. “So. What do you plan on doing about this?”

James was silent, surprised by the question.

Charlie finally turned his gaze on him. “You said you knew this was going to happen. You telling me you didn’t think of something to do when it  _did_?”

The vampire blinked.

Was…

Was Charlie…?

James tilted his head as he looked at the human in confusion before answering in his blunt, straightforward way. “I’m going to fight for him.” On instinct he pulled the totem from under his shirt and clasped his fingers around it.

Charlie’s eyes went to the totem and he was silent for a moment before speaking. “Jake’s had that since he was a kid, he loved it, it was his grandfather’s. It meant the world to him.” Those dark eyes rose to meet James’. “And he didn’t give it to Edward.”

Well, technically Jacob hadn’t given it to James  _either_ , the vampire had stolen it on impulse and refused to give it back on the few times Jacob had broached the topic.

But the wolf hadn’t exactly fought that hard to get it back, had he?

James rubbed his thumb over the totem, watching Charlie go to the fridge and grabbing a beer before leaving him.

The vampire smiled at the human before returning his gaze out of the window and the smile turned into a determined, thin, straight line, his grip on the totem tightening.

Apparent the game was about to begin.

And he didn’t intend to lose.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Why did he have to return?” Victoria growled, looking murderously at her pillow as if  _it_  had the fault of this tragedy.

Bella was silent, hugging her knees to her chest. She was completely torn. On one hand she was happy that Jacob had Edward back (and the fact that the wolf left with Edward to go to his home for the night said that they were going to try make their relationship work again)…but on the other hand it’d broken her heart when James had left to go back to his own home.

And then there was the little voice in the back of her head asking whether Edward was alone or if Alice and Jasper had returned…

_Stop thinking about them!_

She closed her eyes tightly.

“We were doing so fine with just the four of us!” Victoria continued to rant, now squeezing the pillow savagely. “My brother and Jakey were----the looks, the touches---they were getting so  _close!_  And then CULLEN had to show up and ruin  _everything_!” She threw the pillow away. “It’s just not  _fair_!”

Bella sighed.

She had a feeling everything was going to change from this point forth.

And she wasn’t sure it would be for the better.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jacob was sleeping against him.

Edward couldn’t believe that he’d spent so long without seeing his wolf this way.

How had he managed to survive so long?

The vampire sighed.

They’d gotten here and talked, and kissed, and ran fingers over skin, but they hadn’t done anything else. And Jacob seemed to be exhausted, because he’d fallen asleep quicker than Edward remembered.

Then again, a lot of things had changed.

And it hurt him to realize how much Jacob had changed, had  _matured_ , since his departure, and that he hadn’t been here to see it, to  _help_  him. There was something about Jacob that hadn’t been there with Edward was there. He seemed more like an adult, his wolf stronger, more in control. He had authority over the vampire James, if his quickly obeyed command had anything to say about their relationship.

James.

Edward growled.

He smelt of Jacob.

Not…not  _intimately_  like Edward used to, but Jacob’s smell was all over the blonde vampire in a way that it wasn’t over the others in the house.

And it worried Edward.

Like it’d worried him when he’d watched them at the diner. There was a casual ease between wolf and vampire, touches were frequent and seemed to go unnoticed due to their familiarity. Smiles were often exchanged, sometimes mischievous and teasing but mostly tender. The rival vampire had flung his arm proprietarily around Jacob’s shoulders when they’d left, and had ridden on the wolf’s new, expensive motorcycle---which proved just how much Jacob trusted him by allowing him to ride  _behind_  him.

Edward had followed them stealthily, in shock at this development, and watched as the four reached a house in the outskirts of town that’d once been abandoned, but shone with obvious care of its inhabitants. He’d observed how the four had moved like one unit, the females hurrying to get what was needed in the home while the males guarded the two entrances, and then they’d left, this time to Charlie’s.

Edward had stayed in the back yard, trying to process all he’d seen, trying to get the courage to go knock on the door, to see Jacob face to face. He was trying to get the courage to look his boyfriend in the eyes and not tremble all over at the possibility of him being told it was over.

He’d been seriously contemplating kicking the tree in impotence when Jacob had come to him, and, of course, the rest was history.

Sighing, Edward leaned his head back against the headrest and looked up at the ceiling as he remembered the ease with which James touched Jacob and the way the wolf accepted those touches. And the thoughts---the vampire’s thoughts had been one angry, resentful, possessive jumble that’d attacked Edward’s brain furiously.

Words like: “ _Go away!” “Don’t touch him!” and “Mine!”_  had come charging out at him.

Golden eyes closed.

He held Jacob closer to him.

“ _Edward_ …” Jacob smiled softly in his sleep as he snuggled closer.

A small smile touched the vampire’s lips.

Tomorrow they had a lot they needed to talk about, but for right now he’d just enjoy the feel of his wolf in his arms once more, and the sound of his name being whimpered in Jacob’s sleep.


	11. The Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2009's Chapter Note:
> 
> Some of your questions (about the Original Couple) are answered here... so I hope you are intrigued now! ALSO, MOST OF WHAT IS SPOKE BIBICALLY IS NOT BIBLICALLY CORRECT. I am only using it because it works for this story, so please don't get offended.

When Bella fell asleep, Victoria left and went to her home. As expected, she found James lying down on the bed in Jacob’s room. The vampiress frowned when she realized that he was obviously ignoring her presence, so she flopped down besides him on the bed and glared at him until he finally turned his golden gaze on her.

“This is all  _your_  fault.” She decided, annoyance and frustration coloring her voice. “If you hadn’t been so calm and collected, if you’d just made a  _move_  on him sooner---!”

“He’d have felt guilty for doing something like that while with Cullen and he’d have pulled away, telling me that while I was his friend he was in a committed relationship. I don’t want to make him feel like that,  _guilty_.” James replied in an emotionless voice, hands behind his head. “Don’t you think I thought over every scenario possible when I decided to pursue him?”

Victoria pouted. That  _did_  sound like Jacob, the infuriatingly faithful bastard. Then again, it was things like that that made her and James like him so much.

“He’s a  _wolf_ , Victoria.” James announced lazily. “Wolves mate for life.”

Her eyes widened in horror. “Are you saying that he and Cullen--?”

He snorted. “No.”

The female frowned in confusion, scratching her head of flame curls. “You’re not making any sense, big brother.”

He sighed before turning on the bed so that they were facing each other. “They aren’t mates.”

“How would you know---?”

“I don’t know much about wolves, but I  _do_  know one thing.” James announced, pulling the totem from under his shirt and clasping his fingers around the wooden figure. “When wolves mate, they’re bound to that person till their dying day, and if they’re without that person they’ll wither and die. That’s why we’re always told to target the weakest mate if confronted with dogs.”

Victoria blinked, remembering having heard that somewhere.

“If Jacob’s  _mate_  had abandoned him, for  _seven months_ , he’d have gone down in a spiral of despair and probably _died_. Cullen knew this, and was probably waiting to see if the wolf would react to his absence as a way of proof. Not to the point of serious illness or death, but to a little sickness.” James continued, serious. “But Jake  _didn’t_  wither, he got _stronger_  when Cullen left.” There was a moment’s silence. “Cullen is  _not_  his mate. Jake did  _not_  imprint on him. I know this, and I think, deep down inside, he knows it too.”

The female was silent before frowning slightly despite the relief she felt entering her every pore. “But if you’re sure that Cullen isn’t Jakey’s mate, why haven’t you done something?”

“I  _have_.” James smiled brightly. “I became his friend.”

“His  _friend_.” She was  _not_  impressed.

“I became his  _best male friend_ , I made myself his  _pack member_ , and I made myself the strength of his right hand.” The vampire announced, finally sitting up as well, smiling slightly. “Who does he call to go meet Clearwater with him? Who does he trust to help him solve the problems in the pack or otherwise? Who does he come to when he wants company? Who does he spend most of his time with?” James’ smile grew soft. “Who did he say calmed his wolf?”

And suddenly Victoria was getting it. “ _You_.”

The blonde nodded, leaning against the backrest. “Jacob has feelings for me, but he’s denying them or doesn’t even realize he has them.” He grinned. “Most probably it’s the last. He’s extremely oblivious when it comes to matters of the heart.”

“Is he  _ever_.” Victoria groaned, throwing herself down on the bed so that she was lying down next to her brother, her curls like a blanket of flames all around her. “So, now that Cullen’s back…what do you plan on doing?”

“Nothing for right now.” James surprised her by answering. “His lover just returned, they’ll be going through the honeymoon stage all over again, and it’d be the wrong time to do anything.” There was a pause. “But when it’s over, he’s going to realize how much the both of them have changed, how maybe they don’t fit as well as he remembers they used to.”

“And when that happens you’ll swoop down and sweep him off his feet.”

“No, that’d make me seem like a  _cad_ , swooping and sweeping when he’s vulnerable.” James snorted, giving her a disappointed look for even suggesting it. “I’m going to be myself with him, I’m not going to change, and when the time comes, Jake  _will_  realize what I’m telling you, and things with Cullen will end.”

Victoria pouted. “So what? You’re just going to be the good-guy and be his friend while Cullens tries to get into his pants?”

James suddenly smirked, making her feel once more that she was out of the loop and a couple of hundred years too young to understand things clearly.

She frowned grumpily. “I don’t understand your plan, but it better work James. This is my first real family, and I won’t let Cullen break it apart.”

James frowned at her. “Don’t you try to do anything to Cullen. This is between  _me_  and him. You stay out of it.”

“It’s  _my_  family as well.” Victoria narrowed her eyes. “And what about Bellsy? What if the  _other_  Cullens come back?” She pouted. “She’s my best friend, but if  _Alice and Jasper_  come back she’ll forget all about me.”

“Give Bell more credit than that.” James grinned in amusement. “You’re her best friend.” His grin grew confident and mischievous. “Best friends have more importance than you obviously realize.”

“Hmmph.” And yet she smiled. “I better return before she wakes up.”

“You mean before Charlie awakes so that you can ogle him a bit more while he sleeps.”

A pillow was thrown in his face for that.

James laughed, and when he tore the pillow from his face Victoria was gone.

He chuckled and shook his head before putting the pillow beneath his head and sighing, telling himself that he could wait on Jacob, could give him the time to figure out things on his own without pressure…but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt James knowing that the wolf was with Cullen at this very moment.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I can’t believe that I’ve spent all this time in the  _fricken jungle_  and for  _nothing_.” Alice Culen usually wasn’t one for foul language, but she’d been cut off from all things civilized and stylish for  _way_ too long…and it was showing. Her hair had grown out from its nice perky haircut, looking awful, she’d run out of makeup, her high heels had all gotten destroyed, and the mud would  _never_  get out of her clothes completely.

 _Ever_.

And  _dammit_ , she was missing Bella.

“Well, at least  _you_  weren’t chasing after some people who couldn’t keep  _still_  and having to stop every two weeks because Emmet had found something dangerous to hunt.” Rosalie announced, flicking a speck off of her impeccable suit and looking around the dingy little hut that Alice had had to live in.

Alice growled. “How does one prove their pure intentions by staying in the boonies with  _no_  comforts of life, communing with nature by having goddamned long  _hikes_  ever days (my shoes will  _never_  recover), meditating by waterfalls (the humidity just messed up my hair), and chanting mumbo jumbo for hours?”

“Obviously it  _didn’t_  prove anything.” Rosalie sneered. “He never gave you the wish.”

“I don’t think he ever planned on.” The smaller vampiress confessed. “I think he was just seeing how long we’d hold out.”

“ _You’d_ hold out.” The blonde corrected. “Jasper seems to be enjoying it quite a bit.”

Alice grounded her teeth at the reminder.

That  _traitor._

“Well, cheer up, we came to get you so that we can all return to our home.” Rosalie announced, lopping her arm around Alice’s and leading her out of the hut, towards where the witchdoctor, Jasper and Emmet were talking by the large hummer Emmet had rented. “I have to admit, I actually  _missed_  that dog and human. It’ll be nice to see them again.”

“Yes.” Alice suddenly smiled. “I missed them too.”

“Especially Bella.” Rosalie wasn’t asking.

“Yeah.” Alice sighed. “I’ve been so worried about her. Can you  _believe_  this place has no reception? I couldn’t call her _once_  all this time!” And once again she was pissed.

Rosalie grinned. “Well, you’re escaping now. We’re all going home. You’ll see Bella soon enough.”

The thought cheered Alice’s day immediately.

They each gave their respects one by one to the witchdoctor before mounting into the Hummer, Alice the last.

“Child.” The witchdoctor surprised her by announcing in a soft voice. “The past never stays in the past, but it is forever burrowing itself towards the future.”

“That doesn’t sound too good.” She whispered.

He just turned and went back into his hut.

Alice watched him, an uneasy feeling in her stomach, before entering the Hummer and closing the door behind her.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Jacob awoke the next morning, the first thing he noticed was the fact that for the first time in a long time, he’d awoken in the arms of his boyfriend. It was odd, comforting, but unfamiliar territory. It’d been  _so long_ , and Jacob was somewhat annoyed by the sense of awkwardness he felt around the one person he’d learnt to feel most comfortable with…

The one he’d thought his mate, yet who’d left like a thief in the night.

“You’re awake.” Edward murmured, his chest reverberating with the sound.

Jacob nodded and pulled away, sitting up, for the first time truly glad that he’d cut his hair otherwise it’d be even messier than it was now, and the wolf felt self-conscious enough as things were.

“You’re uncomfortable.” Edward noticed in a soft, sad voice.

“It’s been a long time.” Jacob defended, hugging a pillow to his chest and looking down at his toes.

The vampire nodded, sitting up in bed as well. “You changed a lot.” He gaze was on Jacob’s toes as well. “I’ve been going over the many questions I have, yet I cannot come up with an answer by myself.” That dark gaze rose to the wolf’s face. “But you are not the one who owes the other answers.”

Brown eyes rose at that and met black orbs. “Edward.” He tried. “What have you being  _doing_  these last seven months?”

Sighing, the vampire ran pale fingers through eternally messy bronzed hair. “When Sam met me that night and called me out to tell me---well, you know what he told me---I tried to put it out of my mind but I couldn’t. The threat of us just being----it was driving me insane. That’s why I immersed myself into studying, and then I found out that there were references to what Sam was saying. It wasn’t clear, but it hinted to what that dog said was true, that the wolf didn’t imprint in the truest form on the vampire, and that they killed each other when…when the wolf found someone else ‘worthier’.”

Something clenched in Jacob’s chest, but he just nodded for the vampire to continue.

“There was a reference to a vampire who’d been alive during that time, and I asked for my family’s help and they agreed. Carlisle and Esme went to Rome, and found out more information on the vampire and where he was. I went to Romania right away while Alice and Jasper, and Rosalie and Emmet had their own missions to do as a backup.” Edward cleared his throat. “When Carlisle found information on the vampire, Malcolm, and his whereabouts, I went to Romania to try and talk to him, to get him to tell me what’d happened, but he wouldn’t even let me into his castle.”

Jacob blinked. “So what did you do?”

“I told his guards to tell him that this was important for me, and that I wouldn’t leave until he gave me an audience.” Edward frowned at the memory. “Every day for six months I went to that castle and demanded that he see me, but every time he refused to do so and I couldn’t do anything but turn away and try the next day.”

Jake smiled softly to himself at Edward’s stubborn persistence. “Did he ever let you inside?”

“Yeah.” Edward smiled wryly. “He got sick of me coming and realized that the only way to get rid of me was to see what it was I wanted and help me.” He sighed. “At first Malcolm didn’t believe me when I told him about our situation, he thought that I’d just heard about the Original Couple, his friendship with them, and was pulling a prank or something on him. But then, something about my smell got to him and he said it was the same scent. Smoked honey.”

The wolf tilted his head to the right at that.

“Apparently…” Edward hesitated. “Apparently it’s only a scent only  _certain_  people can smell.”

Brown eyes narrowed. James had been able to catch the scent too, hadn’t he? “Certain people?”

“People who are… _important_  to this----people who are---who…” Edward suddenly changed the subject. “So with Malcolm finally convinced he took me under his wing and allowed me free use of his castle. He---I learnt a lot from him but I know that he hasn’t told me everything.”

“What---what did he tell you?” Jacob asked, feeling an uneasy sickness in his stomach, somehow knowing what Edward was going to say.

“We----,” Edward looked away. “We didn’t imprint.”

And Jacob’s world shattered at his feet.

“We… _didn’t_?” Was his voice squeaking like that?

His heart throbbed painfully in his throat and he couldn’t swallow.

“Jacob, you’re special.” Edward whispered, looking torn before pausing and then asking. “Did you know that once, a long time ago, wolves and vampires came from the same family?”

The wolf’s eyes widened. “What?”

“I reacted the same way when Malcolm told me.” Edward responded with a nod. “Apparently we’re descendants of Cain.”

“Cain?” Jacob frowned, not recognizing the reference.

Edward nodded. “It’s a story recorded in the Christian bible. The first man and his wife Eve had two sons, the eldest, Cain, and the youngest, Abel. Cain was a tiller of the soil and Abel a Sheppard.” He sighed. “Abel obeyed God and Cain didn’t, and when he realized that Abel was favored Cain killed him, supposedly committing the first murder ever. It was said that God put a curse on Cain for murdering his brother, a mark on him and his descendants should he ever dare have them.”

Having never heard this story before, Jacob was intrigued.

“Cain was driven away from his home and into the desert for his crimes, and he traveled for many moons until he came to a cave by the sea, and there he found Lilith, the queen of the demons.” Edward frowned, shaking his head. “She’d been the first woman, created to be his father’s wife, but she’d defied god and his sovereignty and had been banished as well. She was beautiful and cursed by God as well, and they became  _one_.”

The clock chimed somewhere in the background, but neither paid attention.

“They had a daughter and a son, both with the curses of their parents mingled in their bodies.” Edward continued. “Eventually Lilith and Cain had more children, and their children had children, and they were large and prosperous for their ability to toil the soil, creating the city Edom.”

“But what about the curse?” Jacob asked.

“I’m getting to that point.” Edward whispered. “The first man and first woman had other children, the most important Seth. His descendants grew in number as well, yet they must have come upon Edom because its said that they realized that the females of Edom were extremely beautiful, and even though their God forbade them to take any as wife, many of them did.” He paused. “And the children from  _that_  union, of the two bloodlines that were forbidden to ever cross, were born the first vampires and werewolves.”

“ _Born_?”

He nodded. “The first vampire was born as a child.” Edward was silent. “Cain had taken the blood of his brother, and forever the cursed would live with the necessity for blood to survive.”

“What about the werewolves?” Jacob wanted to know.

“Lilith had refused to bow to God’s judgment and preferred to live out of the paradise like a dog, so he made it so that her cursed would forever be as dogs, never completely humans ever again.”

Jacob couldn’t believe it.

His ability, what he’d always felt was a gift, a  _privilege_ , had been meant to be a  _curse_.

“Of course, not all of their descendants had the curses activated in them, but those who did grew strong and were fearsome together. The ‘curses’ made them stronger, but for some reason even Malcolm doesn’t understand, they became enemies of each other and separated, the human descendants to one place, the wolf-cursed to another, and the blood-cursed to yet another.”

“But---we were told---we were told that our ancestors were  _wolves_ , not some demon queen!” He was so confused.

“Let me get to it.” Edward reached over and placed a cold hand on Jacob’ shoulder. “There were few on each side that were always trying to reunite their forces, but it wasn’t a plausible happening until the Original Couple.”

Jacob went stiff.

“The female wolf thought she’d imprinted on the female vampire, and the female vampire had similar feelings for the wolf. It started the tenuous peace between the clans and the packs. It was something Lilith had done before her death, to try and reunite her descendants, but it failed. Somehow, the spell she cast went wrong.” Edward frowned. “The one with the spirit of the first wolf was supposed to bring unity between the clans, and she joined with the vampire but the wolf…”

“The wolf what?” Jacob pressed, leaning forwards. “What did the wolf do?”

“There was something missing.” Edward responded in an emotionless voice. “They weren’t completing a part of the necessary conditions to unite---or maybe the spell had just been botched from the millennia past when it’d been cast, and she scented another she desired, and who desired her as well.”

Jacob shook his head, unable to believe this,  _refusing_  to believe this.

“She spoke to the one because she did not want to betray her lover, and after the conversation she decided to tell the female vampire of what was happening. She didn’t want any lies between them.” Edward was paler than usual, his eyes dark as the midnight. “The vampiress, feeling threatened when she realized that her wolf had feelings for another, flew into a jealous rage and attacked the other, but the female wolf got in the way and received the killing blow instead.”

Breath caught in the Native American’s throat. “ _What_?”

“Horrified that she’d killed the one she loved, the vampiress collapsed to her knees and begged the one standing there to kill her, that she didn’t want to live without her wolf.” There was a moment’s silence. “The other vampire, enraged at the wolf’s murder, did as asked, and then fled.”

“That’s how it happened.” Jacob whispered, feeling his body going stiff. “She loved the vampiress but died saving the other from her. I  _knew_  they hadn’t fought and killed each other. I  _knew_  it.” He then looked up, eyes narrowed. “But how did this Malcolm know of this?”

Edward’s gaze lowered. “Because Malcolm was the other vampire.”

Jacob’s eyes widened.

“After the Original Couple’s deaths the vampires and the wolves turned on each other and massacred each other, nearly extinguishing both races. A handful of each survived, scattering. The wolves, for lack of other mates, found _true_  wolves and mated with them, thus your legend  _is_  true, but it is younger than the Original.” Edward finished.

Jacob was silent, eyes downcast, trying to digest all that he’d just learnt. “So what does this mean? For us?”

“That we’re not imprinted.” Edward repeated softly. “You’ve got the spirit of the Original Wolf within you, the spirit that the female wolf inherited yet couldn’t do as foretold. You’re supposed to do what she couldn’t, you’re supposed to unite wolves and vampires again.”

Jake stood up from the bed and shook his head. “But I don’t want to do that! Most leeches deserve to die! Only you, your family, James and Victoria aren’t---aren’t---.”

“Jacob…”

“ _No_!” He shook his head, violently, desperately. “I don’t  _want_  to be leader! I don’t  _want_  to join vampires and werewolves!”

“You already  _are_!” Edward snapped, getting out from the bed as well. “ _Jake_ , you formed a  _pack_  with  _vampires_. You have one of the Clearwater siblings in communication with you, and I can only think that that means you have an informant, a  _follower_  in Sam’s pack!” His hands came down on Jacob’s shoulders. “You’re  _already_  the leader! You’re _already_  joining them!”

Jacob pulled away. “I---I need time---I need to  _think_.” And with that he grabbed his keys and stormed out of the house, feeling icy chills at his fingertips and his wolf snarling and pacing within.

_No…_

_No._

_**No.** _


	12. Unfinished Business

Looking around him warily, James didn’t know what to feel when the only one who appeared before him was the slender Clearwater. When he’d gotten the text asking him to come to the meeting place alone and without Jacob he’d been alert and ready for an ambush any minute, but other than Clearwater’s scent he couldn’t pick up that of anyone else, be he or she human, vampire, or werewolf.

“What do you want?” James asked, a little impatient. He knew Jacob, knew the wolf would come to see him to talk about the new situation now that Cullen had returned, and he didn’t want to waste his time here with this wolf if it could be helped.

The wolf before him was silent for a moment before shifting, changing into bashful nakedness. “I wasn’t exactly sure you’d come, or without Jacob. You might have though it was a trap.”

The vampire raised an eyebrow. “I would have been able to sense any trap you or your pack could ever think of springing on me.” The thought that the wolf might have expected otherwise was insulting.

“Yeah.” The Native American nodded in agreement. “You’ve got amazing tracking skills.”

Okay, so he wasn’t so insulted now, but he was still annoyed. “What do you want, Clearwater? And why didn’t you want Jacob here? What is it that you wanted to tell me that he couldn’t hear?”

Brown eyes lowered to the ground. “It isn’t that Jacob couldn’t hear it, I just thought it concerned you more than him.”

Now things were getting intriguing. “How so?”

“The other day the pack got into a scuffle with a small coven of vampires.” The informer announced, shifting uneasily on bare, dirty yet slender feet. “It was led by that vampire that’s out to get you. The French one. Laurence or something.”

“Laurent.” James went stiff immediately. “They were here in Forks? When? Why weren’t we told?” His eyes were pitch black. He wanted to tear that mutinous bastard apart with his own hands!

“They were stealthy about it, looking around. They had a new member with them, a fledgling, only a couple of months since he was turned.” Clearwater’s lips turned down slightly. “He’s extremely strong and vicious. Seems to know Forks well, he was their guide.”

“Guide?” James grumbled deep in his throat, still angered.

Clearwater nodded, pulling a strand of black hair behind a small, shell-like ear. “I don’t know if it was you they were looking for or something else, but they were leaving Forks when we found them and attacked them. They’d managed to knock out some humans hiking in the mountains and would have eaten them if we hadn’t caught onto their scent.” There was a pause. “They were strong, especially Laury and the new guy.”

“Laurent.” James corrected, feeling a little irritated with the Native American, but tried his best to keep it in check. “Did you manage to get a name?”

“No.” There was a shake of the head. “But he did tell us to give you a message. Sam forbad us from telling you, but--.”

“Not the first time you’ve disobeyed a direct order from your Alpha, is it, Clearwater?” James asked, leaning against a tree, folding his arms over his chest. “I thought it was supposed to be impossible for you wolves. I mean, I’m not a dog but sometimes it’s near impossible to go against anything Jake says.”

There was silence.

A little bored, James looked up at the sky and sighed. “It’s impressive is all I’m saying. Especially for someone likeyou.”

Anger darkened those brown eyes. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“You’re a little petite thing.” James responded truthfully, not taunting. “You don’t look like much.”

Fury had those brown eyes almost black. “Well don’t judge a book by its cover! I may be thin but I’m strong! I can take down a leech! I have taken down leeches!”

James snorted in amusement. “’Course you have.”

“I have!” A step was taken towards him, slim body trembling from repressed anger.

“Look at you. One little jab at your pride, when I wasn’t even meaning it in a bad way, and you’re already fighting the shift.” Disgust covered James’ face as he shook his head. “I take it back. You’re not impressive at all. You’re just a little puppy wanting to fight with the big dogs.”

“WHY WON’T YOU RECOGNIZE ME AS AN EQUAL?!?” The light voice was now snarling.

“Because you aren’t.” James responded. “When you prove it to me, then you’ll have my respect. Till then you’ll only be a pretty little puppy.” He shook his head. “And don’t care so much what others think about you, it only makes you vulnerable.”

“I don’t care what--!” And then all the fight left that body and thin shoulders sagged as a sigh escaped opened lips. “You’re such a bastard.”

The vampire only smirked at that, not denying or agreeing, before suddenly remembering something. “So what was the message?”

“Oh, right.” Clearwater seemed to have forgotten about their little argument in seconds. “Larret said to tell you that you’re in over your head and that the ‘nobles’ know what’s going on and they aren’t happy.”

“Laurent.” James murmured on instinct, a little confused. “The nobles? What nobles?” His eyes widened. “He couldn’t have meant---.”

“And he said something about Phoenix or something.” Clearwater made a face. “It didn’t make much sense. Something like Jacob should have paid more attention. But why should he pay attention to the city?”

James froze. “He wasn’t talking about the city.” He turned. “I need to talk to Jacob, now.”

“Hey!” Clearwater called after him when the vampire would have hurried away.

“What?” James snapped, turning.

“You could at least thank me, you know.” Arms folded stubbornly over a naked chest. “I risked a lot coming out here to tell you.”

The vampire paused for a moment, looking short stuff over. “Thanks puppy.”

“I have a name.” Fists clenched as anger began to build up again.

James sighed, impatient with this little game, back towards the informant. “Maybe it’s safer for you to be called puppy.” He announced reasonably.

“Maybe I like danger.” Came the snappish, childish answer.

The vampire bit down to keep his laughter at bay. This puppy was a weird one. Laughter bubbled up inside but he kept his face emotionless. “Fine then.” He turned to the young Native American, deciding to humor the younger being. “Thank you, Seth.”

A small smile played on those lips. “Your welcome, James.”

Wondering if it was always so easy to anger and please the kid, James shook his head, shrugged and left, his mind already on other things.

He never noticed the fact that the young wolf shifted yet didn’t leave until he’d disappeared from sight.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She didn’t know what was funnier, the way her dad lost horribly at Dominoes or the way Victoria did her best to help him win---unsuccessfully. Thanks to this Bella had been winning almost every game, and she was beginning to think seriously about betting money on it. It wasn’t as if her dad gave her a huge allowance anyway…

“I suck at this game.” Charlie sighed, eyes on his hand.

“No you don’t Charlie.” Victoria placed a gloved hand on his in a near comforting way. “Bella’s just really good.”

Right. Bella bit back a grin.

“Well, her mother was always good at these kind of things.” Charlie replied, looking a little more cheery at the thought.

Victoria, on the other hand, pulled her hand away, gaze returning to her hand, pouting.

Honestly, Bella was going to giggle any minute now. Sure, the situation was bizarre, but she’d had enough time to get used to her friend’s crush and father’s obliviousness. Plus, her dad needed a good woman and Victoria needed a good guy in her life---though how they’d be able to have a relationship without the redhead telling him she was a vampire was beyond Bella.

Then again, they’d be lucky if they got far enough to worry about that. First Victoria had to somehow get Charlie to notice her.

And so far all her tries had been failures.

Pathetic, horribly funny failures.

She’d even been wearing gloves so that she could touch him more and somehow disguise her coldness…but nothing was working.

Hearing her phone ring, Bella froze as she recognized the special ringtone.

Alice?

Yes, there the vampiress’ name was flashing on the screen.

Bella’s heart raced in her throat and she stood up quickly, feeling dizzy. “I’m---I’m going to take this upstairs. You two start a new game together.” She hurried up the stairs and slammed the door to her bedroom before looking at her phone again.

It stopped ringing.

A sense of regret filled her stomach, making her want to vomit.

And then it began to ring again, Alice’s name flashing on the screen.

Why is she calling me? After all this time? Bella sat down on the bed slowly and muted the sound of the ringtone, just looking at Alice’s name flashing.

God, she was going to vomit.

The ringing stopped.

She held her breath…

And it began to ring again.

…she exhaled, hand beginning to tremble from the desire to hear the vampiress’ voice.

Don’t give in so easily! You’ve been trying to build a resistance to them! Remember? You can be strong! You were just a bother!

Tears filled her eyes and Bella closed them, collapsing onto her back on the bed, placing her hand over her face.

It stopped ringing.

She whimpered.

And then Jasper’s ringtone sounded throughout the room.

Bella’s laughter was agonized as she closed her eyes tighter, Jasper’s ringtone doing the same dance as Alice’s had, ringing out and only stopping enough for the vampire to redial and then the melody was swirling around the curled up human being.

Why?

She wiped at the tears and sat up, looking at the screen as Alice’s ringtone sounded out again.

They---they sure are being persistent. She was losing the battle and she knew it. Maybe Alice had a vision and she’s trying to warn us. Maybe she can’t get through to anyone else and I’m putting everyone in danger by being childish and not answering their phone calls. If—if something happened it’d be my fault. Yes. I have to answer this---her.

Finally able to give herself a good enough excuse for her weakness for their voices, Bella closed her eyes tightly, took in a deep breath, and then brought the phone to her ear, pressing ‘speak’. “Hello?”

Dammit.

Her voice was wobbly.

There was silence.

And then there was Alice. “Bella.”

And it was the emotion in the vampiress’ voice as she spoke her name, as if she were praying, that did it. Bella broke down crying into the phone, feeling like such a fool and such a dependent little---.

“Please don’t cry.” Alice whispered, voice choked. “I---we’ve missed you so much.”

“Then you---you should have---called!” Bella tried to snap but she was crying too hard to sound anything other than heartbroken. “You should have cared enough to call!”

“Call?” There was a moment’s silence, and then Alice was angry. “Didn’t Edward tell you?”

“Tell me what?” Bella had somehow managed to calm down somewhat, wiping at her tears and reaching for a case of Kleenex, blowing her nose. “That you ignored all my calls? I figured that out all on my own!”

“Bella!” Alice voice was odd. “Bella, we couldn’t receive your calls! We didn’t have reception where we were! I toldEdward to tell Jake so that you’d know! So that you wouldn’t--.” There was a break in her voice. “You mean you’ve thought all this time that Jazz and I had abandoned you?”

And Bella found herself crying again. “I have to go.”

“No. Bella. Please.” Alice whimpered. “I’ve missed you, we both have. Please, we just need to hear your voice.Please.”

And that was when Bella realized that the same hurt she was feeling was echoed in Alice’s voice. She froze, before slowly wiping at her already red eyes. “You and Jazz---you didn’t leave me?” Why was she asking this? It sounded so embarrassing.

So wrong.

“Bella…” Alice whispered. “Don’t you realize how much you mean to us?” There was a pause. “The moment we got reception you’re the first person we called. You’re the only person we thought of calling. You mean so much to us…why can’t you see it?”

Bella’s eyes widened, and she felt a blush making its way up her neck before she closed her eyes tightly and shook her head, telling herself not to take things in a different context than it was being offered. Alice was telling her how much they cared for her as friends.

They had each other, they didn’t need her.

Not like that.

“I---I’ve missed you guys.” Bella whispered back, heart thumping rapidly in her chest. “A lot.”

“We missed you too.” Alice sounded like she was smiling. “Jazz wants to say hi.”

There was a noise.

“Hey Bella.”

“Jazz.” Bella wanted to cry again at the sound of his voice. “God Jazz. I’ve missed you.”

“Shhh…” Calm and soothing could be heard from his voice. “Don’t cry Bella. Okay? We’ll see you soon. We’ll be landing in Port Angeles in a couple of hours, and we’ll drive over there to see you right away and clear up everything. Okay?”

Bella thought about Victoria, but then realized that this was good opportunity to leave her alone with Charlie.

“Okay.” Her voice was small, like a child’s.

“We really missed you, Bella.”

And then they’d hung up.

Bella pulled the phone from her ear and wiped at her ears, blowing her nose once more.

Silence reigned in the room.

Then a small smile began to tilt her lips.

Alice and Jasper were coming back to her.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jacob had found himself waiting on the steps to James and Victoria’s house. As usual, when he had his head filled with questions he’d go there to just relax and think things over, and James was always a good person to talk to. James was Jacob’s right hand, his best friend, and the wolf realized how fortunate he was to have a friend as good as him.

He sighed as he hid his bowed head in his hands. It was midday and the sky was high in the air, but he didn’t feel the heat, too involved in his thoughts.

‘We didn’t imprint…’ Edward’s voice echoed throughout his mind.

No. Jacob closed his eyes tighter, digging his fingers so harshly into his hair it hurt. No!

‘We didn’t imprint…’

It had to be a lie. A misunderstanding. It had to be. Jacob had imprinted on the bronze-haired vampire. He had. There were all the symptoms and, and…

I love him.

Jake knew he was still resentful and angry at Edward for leaving him, new that a part of him felt betrayed and wanted the vampire to suffer for what he’d gone through---but Jake loved Edward. His wolf loved the vampire, it’d gone nearly insane with want when it’d felt him near. Jacob hadn’t been able to understand the desperation his wolf was feeling but now he did. It’d sensed Edward near and it’d wanted to be with him.

‘We didn’t imprint…’

Wasn’t that the reason they’d gotten together in the first place? Because they’d thought they’d imprinted on each other? Wasn’t that the basis of their relationship?

No.

Jacob tried to regulate his breathing, tried to keep himself calm as he remembered.

No.

Edward had liked him long before Jacob had thought he’d imprinted on him. The vampire had near stalked Jacob formonths before, and Jacob had been irritated because he could sense himself following the leech’s every move when they were close together. At that time he’d hated Edward but had still been fascinated with him.

‘We didn’t imprint…’

“Who cares?” Jacob growled, tightening his grip on his hair painfully, not understanding how he wasn’t pulling it from its roots. “WHO CARES?”

“I care.” James’ voice was amused. “What’s got you in this mood? I’da thought with loverboy back you’d be in cloud nine or something.” The blonde sat down next to him on the steps leading to the porch.

Jacob sighed, closing his eyes. “We didn’t imprint.”

James was frozen next to him. “What?”

Running his hands over his face, Jacob took in a deep breath. “Edward told me that we didn’t imprint. We aren’t soulmates, we---that we aren’t…” His shoulders slouched and he closed his eyes tighter, so tight that his eyelids were hurting him.

There was silence before James began, oddly hesitant. “And—and how do you feel about that?”

“Confused.” Jacob responded truthfully, refusing to open his eyes, to accept the situation. “I’m confused because I’msure Edward’s the one for me, that even without the imprinting he and I would have gotten together…and I’m in painbecause I love him and I scared about what this means for us as a relationship.”

James gaze went to his feet and a strange emotion played over his face, but mostly his loose hair hid it.

“I came here to try and think. He---he told me so many things, and my head, it felt like it was about to explode with all the new information being fed to me. I don’t want to believe anything he’s told me, and I refuse to believe that he’s not my mate.”

James’ golden gaze was firmly on his shoes. “What if he isn’t? What if you’re mate is someone else? What if you’re destined for someone else and you just don’t realize it because you’re holding onto him stubbornly?”

“If I don’t imprint on Edward, I’m not imprinting on anyway.” The wolf whispered, hugging his knees to his chest. “I don’t want to imprint on anyone else.” He turned to look at his right hand man, his beta. “Do you think I’m being stubborn and selfish?”

There was silence as James opened and closed his mouth, seeming to want to say something before closing his eyes tightly, his whole body trembling before it stopped and he turned his golden gaze on Jake, a sad smile on his face. “Of course not. You—you l-love him. You have a right to choose whoever makes you happy and not let something else decide that for you.”

“Thanks.” Jacob smiled back at James. “You always know what to say, don’t you?”

For a moment a jolt of sadness made those eyes more golden, and then it was gone as quickly as it’d appeared, James serious once more. “Clearwater texted me, wanted a meeting with me, alone.”

Jacob frowned. “Why?”

Taking in a deep breath James ran fingers through his loose hair. “Jacob, remember your friend who disappeared after Halloween Night?”

“Phoenix?” Jacob asked, wondering what this had to do with Seth.

“I’m almost sure he’s a vampire.” James announced, face neutral. “And that he’s a part of what’s left of Laurent’s coven.”

“What?” He was on his feet immediately. “How does Seth know this? Why would this happen?”

So James told him everything the youngest of Sam’s pack had told them.

“I should have paid more attention?” Jacob asked softly in the end, looking confused and guilty. “To Phoenix? But---I paid him attention, just, not special attention.”

“I think the more important thing is that I believe Laurent is trying to get the Volturi involved in this.” James announced, cool and business-like. He was always like this when they were talking pack-matters, which was one of the reasons why he was Jacob’s right hand man.

“Volturi.” The wolf tried remembering where he’d heard of them before. “Oh, right. Aren’t they like vampire royalty or something?”

James nodded. “Laurent said that the ‘nobles’ know what we’re doing and don’t like it.”

“We’ll deal with them when that times comes.” Jacob nodded. “In the meantime, I need to learn more about the Volturi. If I remember right, Carlisle knew one or two of the members, maybe he’ll be able to get me some information when he comes back.”

“So all of the Cullens are coming back, huh?” James asked, kicking at the ground softly.

“Yeah.” Jake nodded, staring ahead of him. “It’s going to be odd to get used to them again.” He smiled at James. “You’ll like them though.”

“Yeah. I’m sure we’ll get along like a house on fire.” James suddenly stood, hands in his pockets. “You’ll have to introduce me when I get back.”

“Get. Back?” The wolf’s dark gaze rose as did he. “What do you mean? Get back from where?”

“I still have some unfinished business to take care of.” James responded, turning towards him. “As long as Laurent is still alive I’ll never be able to go forwards in life and my sister will never be safe.”

“So you’re just going to go after him?” Jacob couldn’t believe he was hearing this. “I didn’t take care of you and got you healthy again for you to commit suicide!”

“I’m stronger than I was when you first met me.” James responded, face emotionless. “You’ve made me stronger than I’ve ever been, Jake. But I need to do this. I need you to let me go. Just for a little while.”

The wolf gazed on him in before looking away and shaking his head. “James, this is something you need to do, and I’ll support you---even if I am pissed and worried right now.”

James smiled slightly. “Worried about lil’ old me?”

“Yeah.” Jacob nodded. “Worried about you, gramps.”

And the vampire was suddenly laughing, pulling Jacob into a hug. “You don’t have to worry about me. Nothing’s going to happen and you know why? Because you can’t get rid of me that easily.” His hug tightened. “And I’ll come back when I’m done. You won’t even have time to miss me.”

“Idiot.” Jake scolded softly, hugging the vampire close. “I’m missing you already.”

James was strangely silent as they just hugged each other.

Both unaware of their audience.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Turning so that his back was against the tree and he was hidden from sight, Edward closed his eyes tightly and leaned his head against the harsh bark. He’d been worried and followed the trail of the wolf only to see him, like this, with the other vampire.

His heart was hurting him more than he could explain.

One terrifying thought made itself at home in his mind, echoing endlessly.

Have I lost him?


	13. Reunions and Goodbyes

Victoria pouted as she looked out of the window of the living room. Bella had gone to Port Angeles to meet Alice and Jasper and while the redheaded vampiress had been asked to accompany her she’d refused. But that didn’t mean that she wasn’t a little angered.

And a little insecure.

Alice and Jasper were very important to Bella, and the redhead was wondering how their return would affect her friendship with the young human who’d become her best friend.

“You okay?” Charlie asked as he entered the living room, a big bag of popcorn in his hands as he sat down next to her on the sofa.

“Yeah.” She lowered her gaze, knowing she was still pouting. “Just wondering how Bellsy’s reunion with them is going.”

“Why didn’t you go with her?” Charlie asked, seeming concerned. “She invited you countless times.”

“What? And interrupt their big reunion? As if.” She scoffed, folding her arms over her chest. “I just wish the Cullens had dropped off the face of the earth.”

There was a moment’s silence, Charlie eyeing her oddly. “I thought you and James were friends of the Cullens---that that was why you were house-sitting for them.”

It took a lot to keep her from wincing at the memory of their false story. “Yes, well, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen were friends with our parents, not with us. And we didn’t really have anywhere to go at the time so it was a, a---.”

“An arrangement of convenience for both parties?” Charlie asked, supplying the answer.

“Yes, something like that.” She responded, eyes on the carpeted floor. “I couldn’t have put it better.”

He grinned, the skin at the corner of his eyes crinkling slightly, just adding to his mannish charm. “Even a hick policeman can think in the more modern terms sometimes.”

Victoria’s golden gaze jerked up to his immediately. “You’re n-not a hick, Charlie!” She blushed, lowering her gaze as she pulled a stray flame-curl behind her ear. “I actually think you’re kinda fantastic.”

There was silence.

Unable to bare it anymore, she dared to raise her gaze, surprised when she found Charlie blushing beet-red, eyes on the turned-off television.

“T-there’s supposed to be a s-soccer game s-soon.” Charlie suddenly announced, launching himself at the remote control and hurriedly turning on the television set.

The vampiress blinked before a small smile tilted the corner of her lips. “Do you want me to get you some beer?”

He gulped. “You—you don’t have to bother. I’m fine as I am.” He raised the popcorn rapidly as if proving his point, eyes never leaving the television set.

Tilting her head to the right, Victoria’s smile curled more in surprise as she realized that she was affecting Charlie. He might be fighting it valiantly, and obviously trying to ignore her and her remark, but it’d affected him, if only for a second.

That smile turned conniving. “It’s no problem for me, Charlie.” Lowering her voice a bit more at his name, she grinned when she noticed him gulping once more. “It’d be my pleasure.”

Slowly standing, she made her way across him, hips swaying a little more noticeable than usual, heading towards the kitchen. She felt a hesitant gaze on her but when she turned Charlie’s gaze was desperately on the television screen.

Her smiled turned predatory.

Who said that just because she didn’t drink from humans anymore meant that she couldn’t enjoy a ‘hunt’? If she played this right she could have her desired prey, and the prize would be better than any feeding.

Giggling softly to herself, Victoria sauntered towards the kitchen to get Charlie a beer.

Let the hunt begin.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bella waited impatiently in the waiting area of the small airport in Port Angeles. She rocked too and fro on the heels of her feet, hands clasped behind her back, taking in deep breaths ever so often. She knew she was grinning and jumping every second someone came out from customs, and that a couple of people were smiling at her eager enthusiasm, but she just didn’t care.

Alice and Jasper would be coming out of that section any minute now.

Her enthusiasm grew until she could only barely keeping herself from pacing.

Brown eyes kept fixed on the exit of customs.

Not them…

Not them…

And then Alice appeared, looking brilliant, shouldering her tiny Gucci handbag, and Jasper appeared behind her, dragging four roll-behind suitcases with amazing ease and skill. Obviously he was used to having to tote around Alice’s many suitcases.

Alice’s eyes widened. “Bella!”

And then Bella was flying towards them, arms flying wide as she hugged both close to her, closing her eyes tightly.

The sound of suitcases dropping to the ground was lost in the noisy airport as two pairs of cold arms went around her, pulling her tightly to them. Cold noses trailed through her hair, down the sides of her face, somehow burying themselves each on a side of her neck.

Bella knew reasonably that considering that they were vampires she should be at least a little nervous that they were rubbing their noses against the skin of her throat, but she just closed her eyes and shivered, lips parting slightly.

Heart pounding in something that was not fear.

She felt a quick brush of lips against her skin and she was dizzy, not exactly sure who had given her the soft caress, before they both pulled away to smile at her. She forced her eyes open, disorientated and knowing she was both grinning like an idiot and blushing like some naïve little fool.

And at the moment she couldn’t have cared less.

“We’ve missed you.” Alice smiled, pearly whites perfect as usual.

Jasper frowned slightly, leaning forwards towards Bella and taking in a deliberate whiff. “Why----why do I smell vampire all over you?”

Alice blinked and followed her husband’s deeds, sniffing Bella’s hair and making up her nose, frowning.

Bella gulped, a little cornered by their obvious displeasure yet not exactly sure why they were this displeased. “We—Jake and I—have our own pack.” She smiled tremulously at them. “And two of our members are vegetarian vampires.”

“Jacob started a pack----.” Alice blinked.

“---of vampires?” Jazz finished, seeming just as confused and disturbed as Alice.

“Yes.” Bella nodded, stepping out of their embrace a little and running her fingers through her chocolate locks in a nervous gesture. “Their names are Victoria and James, and they’re brother and sister.”

“Vegetarian vampires being a part of a wolf’s pack.” Alice shook her head, before smiling. “I would like to meet them very much.”

Jazz seemed more reluctant, more wary. “How did you meet those two? How long have you known them? Are you sure that they’re not just trying to infiltrate your pack and---.”

“It’s only the four of us---there’s no ‘pack’ without them to infiltrate.” Bella narrowed her eyes at Jazz, offended on James and Victoria’s behalf. “And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t just assume that they’re evil. They’re not. They’re my friends, my family.”

Alice placed a hand on Jasper’s arm, smile on Bella. “Don’t get angry, Bella. We’re just worried about you, allow us this.” She tilted her head to the side and grinned. “We haven’t seen you in the longest time, and while it couldn’t be helped we’re somewhat resentful about not being with you for so long.”

Bella looked down at her feet, worrying her bottom lip.

“I’m sorry.” Jasper sighed, lowering his head slightly. “I---I’ve just seen the evil vampires are capable of, I’ve---I’ve done those evils, I taught others how to---.” His eyes closed. “So I can’t help but worry when I realize that our precious little Bella is so close to vampires that we don’t know.”

A blush was rising up her neck, and she knew that it was tempting to vampires, but she couldn’t help it.

Plus, she trusted Jasper and Alice.

Neither of them would ever hurt her.

“Forgive me?” Jasper asked softly.

Bella’s gaze rose to meet his and she smiled tenderly, going on her tiptoes and hugging him tightly, closing her eyes and breathing in his scent. “Don’t be silly. ‘Course I do.” A sound of contentment escaped her lips as his cold arms came around her in a tight yet tender hug, keeping her against him yet careful not to hurt them with his strength.

Alice smiled softly at them as Jasper placed a kiss on the top of Bella’s head.

Finally managing to pull away from Jasper, Bella cleared her throat and refused to look at either vampire in embarrassment, knowing that her blush had gotten darker. “So.” She scratched her cheek. “How was Singapore?”

“Great.” Jasper announced the same time Alice cried out: “Horrible!”

Bella looked between them before laughing. “Ummmm, okay?”

Alice pouted, folding her arms over her chest. “This traitor enjoyed it, but Bella, I was stuck in the middle of the rainforest! There wasn’t a store in a million kilometers!”

“Alice, that’s an exaggeration.” Jasper looked like he was desperately trying not to laugh at his wife.

She ignored him, continuing on. “And there was no electricity! No running water! No A/C!” The vampiress was on a roll as she looped her arm around Bella’s and left Jasper to grab the abandoned suitcases and follow as she led them out of the airport. She complained about everything that she’d had to go through these last months---and all for nothing.

But Bella hardly heard a word.

They were back.

She smiled.

That was all that truly mattered.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You should tell her.” Jacob announced softly, looking up at James as the vampire finished packing the small amount of things he’d be taking with him.

“And have her bitch at me for hours?” James asked, scoffing at the very thought as they slowly made their way to the front door and down the steps, pausing in front of Jacob’s motorcycle. He sighed. “If she knows, she’s going to want to come with me. I can’t let that happen. She---she can be a nuisance most of the time, but she’s my only family.”

“Bella and I are too.” Jacob didn’t know why he was talking so softly, but it seemed like the right time, as he placed a hand on James’ shoulder. “We’re your family too.”

James raised his gaze and smiled at Jacob. “Yeah. You are.”

There was silence as they smiled at each other.

Clearing his throat and looking away, not exactly sure why he felt suddenly awkward, Jacob sighed. “You really shouldn’t be going alone. Why won’t you let me come along with you?”

A strange battle seemed to be fighting on James’ face before he finally looked away as well, running his fingers through his loose hair. “I’ll be fine, Jake. And anyway, you have to stay here. I don’t trust anyone else to take care of my baby sister or to make sure she doesn’t do something stupid while I’m gone.” He smiled slightly as his gaze returned to the wolf. “She listens to you, obeys you, something I never got her to do for me.”

Jacob didn’t smile back. “I don’t want you going alone, James. It’s too dangerous.” He frowned. “I don’t want you going period.” There was a pause. “Don’t go.”

“You know, if you aren’t careful I’ll start to think that maybe you care about me.” James teased.

Jacob narrowed his eyes, irritated with the way the vampire was trying to laugh this off. “I do care, and you know it.” He was bristling with anger, with worry. “You could get killed out there by yourself, this could be a trap for all we know and you’re just going to walk into it! Alone!”

“I’ll be fine.” James finally whispered, eyes downcast, all teasing gone. “If there was someone else from the pack who could go with me I’d take that person along with me if only to make you feel better, but there’s no one else, Jake.”

“There’s me.” The wolf persisted.

“No.” The vampire shook his head. “I---I would love for you to come along, under different circumstances, but you’re needed here right now, and I need to do this on my own, without your help.”

“Why?” That irritation was growing. “Why can’t I help you with this?”

“Because you can’t!” James growled and then took in a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair and sighing. “Jake---you saved me, you made me stronger. I---I need to prove to myself that I’m strong on my own as well, that I’m worthy enough for the fight.”

“For what fight?” Jacob asked. “The one with Laurent?”

James smiled sardonically. “Among others.”

“You’re being cryptic again.” Jacob grumbled, sighing.

“And you’re being amazingly oblivious again.” James grinned again, ruffling Jacob’s hair playfully. “But that’s one of the things I love about you.”

Jacob smiled at James, shaking his head. “If you get yourself killed on this mission, I’ll kill you.”

Instead of grinning back at him, as the wolf had expected, James’ smile fell and he looked as the younger male pensively, head tilted slightly to the right.

“What?” Jake asked, feeling slightly nervous for some reason.

“Well, if I might die, it would be wrong to do so without finding out what it’s like.” James finally announced.

Jacob frowned suspiciously at the blonde. “Find out what what’s like?”

Despite his suspicions that James was about to do something unprecedented, Jacob wasn’t ready for the vampire to drop his knapsack and wrap his arms around him, pulling him into his chest so rapidly and unexpectedly that it left the wolf winded.

“James…?” Jacob looked up at the vampire with wide, surprised eyes, and yet James’ lips on his swallowed the rest of his question.

The wolf’s eyes widened further as James’ lips coaxed his with his own, but before he could completely process the realization that James was kissing him, the vampire had pulled away and was grinning at him.

“I always wondered what you’d look like if I kiss you.” James chuckled. “And you don’t disappoint. You look like you’re going to faint---or turn into a tomato.”

Jacob wanted to growl at the teasing, but he was just in too much shock to do anything else other than stare at his beta.

James was suddenly in a very good mood. “Looks like I left you silent, wolfie. Should I kiss you again and see if that makes you talk again?”

The vampire was just too much of a tease!

Jacob was so going to thrash him for teasing him like that when he finally got the ability to move again!

There was the sound of a throat clearing, and both turned to see a bruised Seth Clearwater standing a little ways down the driveway.

Jacob’s eyes narrowed and he stormed towards the younger wolf. “What happened to you?” He looked him over, noting the healing yet ugly bruises. “Was this leeches?”

“No.” The young werewolf replied, looking away. “They found out.”

And that was all that it took for the situation to suddenly become clear.

“How did you get away?” James asked, joining Jacob’s side.

Seth still wouldn’t look at them. “I’m the fastest runner. I broke free before could really do anything.” There was a pause. “I couldn’t think of anywhere else to go.”

Jacob rested his hand on Seth’s shoulder, causing the boy to turn his gaze on him. “You did right in coming here. You’re an unofficial member of our pack, have been for a while now.”

Seth smiled softly at Jacob, obviously grateful. “Thank you.”

“How do you feel about getting out of Forks for a little?” Jacob suddenly asked. “James has…a mission out of the state, and I don’t want him to go alone.”

Seth blinked. “You want me to go with him?”

“Only if you’re feeling up to it.” Jacob responded, knowing that the bruises would heal completely overnight. Wolves were strong like that.

The young Clearwater thought it over before suddenly nodding.

“This is dangerous.” James told him. “You think you can handle it?”

“My sister, she doesn’t know about me working with you all---about me leaving. She’s going to be pissed as hell when she does find out.” Seth declared, shivering slightly. “And no leech on this green earth who is scarier than Leah Clearwater when she’s pissed.”

Jacob and James shared a look, smiling in amusement.

“When do we leave?” Seth asked, suddenly looking anxious to be long gone before his sister found out everything and came looking for him.

“Now.” James then turned his attention on Jacob. “You happy? I’m going to be babysitting a puppy on top of everything.”

“How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me ‘puppy’?” Seth growled in the background.

James ignored him.

Jacob grinned at the vampire. “You’ll be fine. Just, take care of yourselves.” And then he hugged James tightly, closing his eyes. “And come back soon, okay?”

“You bet.” James whispered before pulling away, smile in place before turning to Seth. “You ready, puppy?”

Seth seethed silently before turning and beginning to storm down the driveway with determination.

“This will be entertaining at least.” The vampire announced before giving Jacob one last smile. “I’ll be back, so don’t get too comfortable here without me.” And with that he was gone, joining Seth, commenting something that seemed to have the young wolf growling in irritation.

Jacob smiled as he watched them until they disappeared from sight.

He then sighed, smile slipping from his face as he went to sit on the bottom step that led to the front porch.

Resting his hands on his knees, he closed his eyes and hung his head.

His stomach churned with unease.

He didn’t like James leaving.

He didn’t like it one bit.

He was already worrying up a storm.

What is it with the men in my life just getting up and deciding to go on self-appointed quests at the most unexpected of moments?

“I should have done it like that.”

Jacob looked up, surprised to see Edward in front of him, sitting down next to him with one fluid motion. “What?”

“When I left.” His boyfriend announced, looking ahead of him. “I should have told you that I was going. I should have told you why.” He paused. “And I should have taken you with me.”

The wolf was silent.

“I’m sorry, because I messed up.” Edward sighed. “I was only thinking about myself. How would I survive if we weren’t imprint, how would I this, how would I that----but I didn’t stop my own self-absorbed worries to think about how you’d feel.” He lowered his head. “It was selfish of me. It was wrong.”

“Yeah, it was.” Jacob finally spoke.

“He kissed you.” Edward announced emotionlessly.

“Yes, he did.” Jacob nodded.

“And you didn’t push him away.” It was noted.

“No, I didn’t.” Not that he’d had time to process what was going on, much less react. “Are you mad?”

“No.” Came the surprising answer. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m jealous, I’m jealous as hell, but I’m not mad because whatever might have happened between you two during these last months is partially—mostly, my fault.”

There was silence between them as wolf and vampire sat side-by-side looking ahead of them.

Jacob finally turned to look at Edward. “That’s the first time we’ve ever kissed, and he just did it to tease me.”

Edward snorted and laughed, and it wasn’t a pleasant sound. “You’re so oblivious about some things, Jacob.” His smile turned tender as he turned to look at him. “But that’s just one of the things that I love about you.”

Jacob smiled at him. “And you’re a selfish jackass, and I don’t love that about you…and even if I haven’t totally forgiven you for the last seven months, I still love you.” He paused for a second. “Even if you are a complete idiot.”

Edward suddenly laughed, bowing his head, the darkness leaving his eyes.

The wolf smiled at him as they both fell into silence, looking up at the sky and listening to the birds singing.

Sometime during their time together their fingers entwined, and remained that way.

And all was silence.


	14. Changes

“That  _dick_!”

Edward sat silently on the front step of the vampiress’ home, watching as she paced back and forth violently. Jacob had called her over once they were sure James was long gone and told her to come over. The vampire had been surprised at how easily she’d agreed to come, without asking why or giving a thought as to deny him his order. The vampiress had soon appeared, looking confused and a little worried.

All of those emotions had died away though when she the wolf had told her  _why_  he’d called her over.

It’d become  _anger._

“Why did you let him go, Jake?” Victoria turned to Jacob, looking angry and hurt. “What if something happens to him? What if he gets killed?”

“I’m just as worried about him as you are.” Jacob sighed, placing his hands on the vampiress’ shoulders. “But do you think James would just stay here and be happy if I’d ordered him to stay here?”

“No.” She sighed, shoulders sagging in defeat. “At least you got the puppy to go with him.” She made a face. “Not that I think  _he’ll_  be much of a help. He’s a little  _shrimp_ , honestly, he’s skinnier than  _me_.”

Jacob smiled at her, pulling her into a hug.

Victoria’s arms went around Jacob and she held on, seeming to draw comfort from him as if she were truly a lower packmate drawing comfort from the Alpha.

Edward couldn’t help but be silent as he watched this. So much had changed since his departure, and he knew that it was going to take a lot for him to get used to this change. It was  _amazing_  to see how two vampires had bonded so well with Jacob, truly seeing to submit (although James was still somewhat his own boss) to the wolf.

“If he gets himself killed, I’ll  _kill_  him.” Victoria mumbled against Jacob’s chest.

The wolf chuckled. “I told him the same thing.”

She sighed. “Good. He won’t do anything to anger  _you_.”

Edward looked down, that ugly feeling churning inside of him at the reminder of the feelings the other vampire had for Jacob.

He suppressed the anger, suppressed every dark feeling.

This wasn’t the time.

He’d left and now that he was back he was going to have to become a part of the family Jacob had now---even though two of the four seemed to hate him completely. He didn’t blame them though. James had fallen in love with Jacob (which Edward could understand) and Victoria was supporting her brother. It was only elementary that once he returned on the scene that they’d resent him.

But he was a part of Jacob’s life, and they were going to have to get used to him, as he would have to get used to _them_.

“Where’s Bell?” Jacob asked. “I tried calling her but it went straight to voicemail.”

Victoria pouted, pulling away and sending a little ‘ _I can’t stand you’_  glance in Edward’s direction. “ _His_  brother and sister arrived today, so she went to go and meet them at the airport.”

“Jazz and Alice are back?” Jacob gave a little smile, asking the question to Edward.

He nodded.

Victoria pouted, folding her arms over her chest. “What do we do now, chief?”

“What have I told you about calling me that?” Jacob sighed, turning his attention back on her.

“Never to call you it  _ever_?” Victoria asked in a deceptively angelic voice.

The wolf looked at her in silence before chuckling and shaking his head. “What am I going to do with you, Tor?”

The vampiress just smiled.

And Edward felt a little out of place with the dynamics but refused to back down. He was going to become a part of Jacob’s life again, no matter  _how_  out of his league he suddenly felt.

Jacob suddenly went stiff, his eyes darkening.

Edward stood immediately, trying to sense whatever it was that Jacob had but couldn’t, and from the confusion on Victoria’s face she couldn’t either.

The wolf turned and then the bushes moved.

And Leah Clearwater emerged, buttoning up the buttons of her jeans and glaring at them.

Jacob relaxed slightly. “Leah.”

“Where is he?” The exotically beautiful Native American asked, looking around her as if expecting Seth to be hiding behind a shrub or tree. “I’m going to  _kill_  him when I find him.”

“Wow, what  _incentive_  to convinced him to let you find him.” Victoria deadpanned, folding her arms over her chest.

Leah sent her a glare before turning to Jacob and striding up towards him, jabbing her finger angrily at him. “Where’s my brother? What have you done with him? And you better tell me the truth buster!”

Jacob’s eyes narrowed and a  _growl_  reverberated through his throat, escaping his lips in a menacing sound.

Edward’s eyes widened at the animalistic stance in his boyfriend. It was as if the wolf had taken over, displeased with the disrespect and attitude of the female.

Leah’s eyes widened in surprise at Jacob and she involuntarily took a step backwards before shaking her head and clearing her throat. “Uhm,  _ah_ …” She ran her fingers through long, ink-black hair and trying again, this time in a calmer voice. “Sam said---Seth is a part of  _your_  pack now?”

The wolf had receded, and Jacob was once more the one in control. “Yes.”

“Then so am  _I_.” Leah Clearwater announced, but her voice wobbled slightly. “They  _deliberately_  waited for me to be gone to ambush Seth, and when I found out what they tried to do I beat the  _shit_  out of Paul.” She had some bruises and cuts herself, but they weren’t of any consequence. “I left the pack, and I want to be a part of yours.” She paused. “Like my brother.”

“This isn’t a little book club or something you can just join out of the blue,” Victoria announced, proving to Edward that she wasn’t just against  _him_ , but wasn’t to welcoming to  _any_  newcomer.

“I  _know_  that,” Leah grumbled back moodily. “You’re a  _pack_ , a  _family_.” She folded her arms over her chest. “But it’s not like we’re strangers. My brother has been helping you and I’ve helped him help you too. And—and--.” She closed her eyes tightly. “I can’t go back to the pack. I don’t  _want_  to. We’re supposed to be a  _family_  but we’re not!”

Edward watched the emotions she tried to suppress and realized that this female had been keeping them bottled for a  _very_  long time, and while she hated to be vulnerable she was doing just that right now. She’d turned her back on her pack and was seeking entrance into another that had no true reason to let her join.

“Jacob, I can’t---I can’t continue being what Sam has made us!” Leah’s voice broke and she glared at the ground as she rubbed under her eyes, at the suspicious moisture. “I  _still_  have nightmares about Halloween.”

Victoria went stiff.

Jacob winced.

Edward frowned, wondering what’d happened on Halloween to get these reactions out of them.

Leah’s gaze turned to Victoria. “You once said that you were in our debt, that when we needed a favor to ask it. This is the favor. Let me join!”

Victoria’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “I can’t help you with that. It’s  _Jake’s_  pack, he’s the one who says who can join and who can’t.”

Leah’s gaze was desperate by the time it landed on Jacob. “Jake,  _please_.” Her dark gaze lowered. “I have no where else to go.”

Edward was silent, wondering what Jacob would do. On one hand the female was desperate, on the other, it could easily be Sam’s pack getting back at Jacob by planting their  _own_  spy.

Jacob continued to watch her silently, as if weighing the truth of her words.

“I’ll perform a blood oath.” Leah whispered finally.

And while Edward didn’t know what a blood oath was, it made Jacob blink rapidly in surprise, coloring slightly.

“I don’t, I don’t think you’ll have to go so  _far_.” The wolf announced. “But I’m not sure whether to trust you or not.”

She bit her bottom lip.

“Shift.” Jacob suddenly ordered.

Leah looked up in surprise.

“ _Shift_.” Came the order again as he pulled his shirt up over his head and began to unbutton his jeans, obviously planning to do the same.

Leah’s eyes suddenly lit up with understanding that Victoria and Edward didn’t share as she quickly began to pull off her clothes as well, until both young Natives were naked and shifting to their animal forms.

And then, without a backwards glance at the vampires, the wolves took off into the foliage, disappearing from view.

There was a moment’s silence before Victoria turned to him, eyes dark and angry. “Look, I don’t care if my brother told me not to do anything, but I’m not going to just be silent about this.” She took in a deep breath. “Everything was going  _fine_  until you showed up! Jake saved and healed my brother, and it was only a matter of time before something happened between them. We were  _happy_.” She clenched her fists. “Why did you have to come back?”

“Because, I love him.” Edward answered truthfully, sitting back down on the bottom step.

“Then you shouldn’t have left him in the  _first_  place.” She growled.

“I know.”

That admission seemed to have surprised Victoria because all the fight left her in a second and she just looked at him in confusion before going to sit down next to him with a defeated sigh. “What  _is_  it with you Cullens that you think you can just  _abandon_  your friends and then come back and make everything the same as it was before?”

“It will never be the same.” Edward responded, kicking at a stone. “We know that.”

“Good.” She whispered, hugging herself and looking ahead of her.

“It  _could_  get better.” Edward whispered back, leaning his chin on the top of his knees as he hugged them to his chest.

“You planning on leaving again?” The question was asked without malice.

The bronze-haired vampire even managed a chuckle at that. “No, I won’t make that mistake twice.”

“Pity.” She sighed.

He smiled slightly before it fell. “Your brother, he kissed Jacob before he left.”

Victoria went still before turning to look at Edward in surprise, eyes wide. “What? He did? On the mouth? And you saw?”

He nodded.

There was a moment’s silence as she just observed him in confusion. “And you didn’t attack him?”

“No.”

“ _Why_?” Victoria asked, genuinely confused. “If someone else put the move on  _my_  man, and I saw it---I’d tear him or her apart. It—it’s a part of being a vampire. We’re deadly possessive of the ones we love.”

“Yes, we are.” Edward agreed.

“Then why---why didn’t you do something?” Victoria asked.

“I wanted to.” Edward admitted to her, eyes still fixed ahead. “But if I hurt James, I’d hurt Jacob…and I don’t want to ever hurt him again.”

“I---.” Victoria looked away, trouble. “I don’t know what to make of you, Edward Cullen.”

He didn’t answer, and they both stayed like that, silent, side by side, waiting on Jacob and Leah to return.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“And that’s all that’s happened since you two went AWOL,” Bella announced with a grin as they drove towards Forks in her old pickup. She was in a pretty good mood, and it showed. She knew she was grinning like an idiot.

But who could really blame her?

Jazz and Alice were here!

“You killed a vampire?” Alice asked.

“They let you watch  _hunts_?” Jasper asked.

Both sounded completely  _shocked_.

“Yes on both accounts.” Bella nodded, extremely proud of herself. “Victoria taught me how to fight so I could better protect myself, and now I’ve gotten really good,  _for a human_.” She grinned at Victoria’s catchphrase when it came to complimenting her. “And I wasn’t going to let the three of them go and leave me all alone for the weekend, so I convinced them to let me go along and watch the hunt from a safe distance while they did their thing.”

There was a moment’s silence.

“But a hunt is gruesome for a human to watch,” Jasper announced slowly. “I don’t think that you---.”

“Yes, it was gross and I still feel bad for the bears, but this is all a part of the food chain, and in the end you realize that.” Bella announced, taking the corner a little too fast yet doing it safely still. “And it helps me remember that there’s a part to being a vampire that isn’t wonderful and glamorous.”

Alice and Jasper exchanged confused looks.

“I—ever since my birthday I decided that I wanted to be a vampire because I didn’t want to age while everyone else remained young.” She felt so silly for admitting that to them. “Jacob told me my reasons for wanting to be a vampire were wrong, but I didn’t really listen to him or take his words to heart until I started talking to Victoria about it.”

Alice leaned her head against Jasper’s shoulder.

“I asked her to bite me but she wouldn’t, because that’s Jake’s One Rule, no biting humans.” Bella smiled slightly. “And then she told me herself that there are other, darker sides to being a vampire and watching the hunt helped me realize that everyone else was right.”

“So, you  _don’t_  want to be a vampire anymore?” Jasper asked.

“No, I’m not saying that.” Bella shook her head. “All I’m saying is that I’m not going to jump into it. If I choose to become like you, it’ll be for better reasons than wanting to stay young forever.”

Alice smiled. “I think I like Victoria.”

Jasper was silent.

Bella grinned at her friends and they continued the rest of the drive in silence.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leah pulled on her clothes once more and smiled softly to herself as she headed inside of the house. The vampire Victoria had allowed her to stay in her home with her at least until James and Seth returned, and the female wolf was happy.

She’d been accepted.

Her smile grew as she leaned against the wall, feeling that connection to Jacob even now. It was stronger than when she’d merged with Sam, stronger than anything else she’d done with Sam. That just went to show how  _strong_  Jacob truly was.

The wolf didn’t want to admit how relieved she was. This  _was_  a pack with leeches, but from what she and Seth had witnessed while spying on them, they were more of a pack than Sam’s ever had been. And from then Leah had wanted to be a part of them, she hadn’t realized that her brother had as well though.

_That little sneak._

After shifting she and Jacob had rushed out to nature, to the wolves’ natural environment, and he’d probed her mentally, sensing the truth in her connection to Sam and her old pack having been broken.

She’d thrown herself at his feet, stomach upwards, neck bared----the typical sign of canine submission, of begging acceptance of an Alpha.

And then he’d brought his teeth to her neck and pressed down softly before pulling away, accepting her into his pack, her wolf joining his mentally.

Even now, in human form, she could sense him outside as he and his leech lover prepared to leave on his motorcycle.

She pressed her back against the wall and smiled up at the ceiling.

 _Seth, come back soon. And be safe._  Her smile grew.  _I still have to beat the crap out of you for not telling me what you were up to, joining Jake’s pack without me!_

Giggling, she pushed away from the wall and went to find Victoria, wondering what the future held for this, the Black Pack.

 

 


	15. Epilogue

Edward never would have believed it if he hadn’t seen it. He’d expected things between his family and Jacob’s pack to be tense at best, and they  _had_  been, but a week had seemed to be enough to cool things down to the point where Rosalie and Alice were playing against Victoria and Leah in dominoes, both sides extremely competitive and refusing to lose. Emmet was cheering his wife, while Bella and Jasper watched television together, Bella’s head leaning against his shoulder, face bright red yet contented.

From their smells Edward could tell that nothing had happened between Bella, Jasper and Alice, but they were getting closer, and it was only a matter of time in his opinion.

Carlisle and Esme were sitting on the loveseat, watching the movie with Bella and Jasper, sending them knowing smiles every once in a while.

James had kept in contact, saying that Laurent and his group had been moving a lot and he and Seth were tracking them. The sisters left behind were worried and upset, which was probably why they were throwing themselves so much into the competition with the Cullen females.

Edward knew that neither Victoria nor Leah were quite sure whether they liked the Cullens or not, but they were at least giving them a  _chance_ , and that was important.

And his family was also trying to be as nice and welcoming as possible. Esme had already won over the two females completely with her sweetness and caring attitude, and both had a grudging respect for Rosalie’s bitchy bluntness, but the others they still hadn’t decided on.

 _Especially me_.

Sighing, Edward left the living room and went up the stairs towards his bedroom, feeling the connection that had lessened yet never faded during his absence. He opened the door and found Jacob lying down on the floor, eyes closed, listening to music on his I-pod and shaking his head to the rhythm.

For a moment the vampire just leaned in the doorway, observing him silently. He knew that he’d put a huge strain on their relationship by leaving and staying away for so long, and he knew that things would be different by the time he returned, especially with what he’d found out. Still, he couldn’t help but feel the insecurity rise in his throat. Jacob was still his boyfriend, had still decided for him despite the fact that they weren’t  _Imprinted_ , but nothing had _happened_  between them more than a few kisses since Edward had returned and it had him  _nervous_.

Before he’d left they hadn’t been able to keep their hands, or mouths, off of each other, and now that he’d come back, every time he’d tried initiating something Jacob would just lessen the intensity of the touches, of the kisses, and they’d end up only holding each other.

And Edward wanted to know  _why_.

It was times like these in which he wished that he could still read Jacob’s mind. That way he could know what he was doing wrong and get it  _right_.

“What are you brooding about  _this_  time?” Jake’s amused voice surprised him out of his thoughts.

Edward blinked, and if he could blush he would have. “I’m not brooding.”

“ _Sure._ ” Chuckling, Jacob leaned up on his elbow, smirk in place. “Tell that to someone who doesn’t know you.”

“Do you?” The question was out before Edward could stop himself.

“Do I what?” Jake asked, smile slipping slightly.

“Know me.” The vampire went to sit on the ground next to his boyfriend, eyes trained on the ground before them. “And do I still know you?”

Turning off his I-pod, Jake pulled off the remaining earphone and sat up as well, eyeing him in silence.

“I went away for six months.” Sighing, Edward forced himself to look at Jake. “We’ve both changed during this time, I mean, you have your own pack now, and I’m proud of all you’ve accomplished and of the man you’re becoming---.”

“But.” Jake spoke the word, anticipating it.

“ _But_ ,” Edward continued, gaze sliding to the ground once more. “I’m not exactly sure where I fit in anymore.”

There was a moment’s silence, and then there was heat to his right, Edward looking up in surprise to realize that Jacob had moved without his noticing, so close to him, touching his hair in near reverence.

“Jake?” Golden eyes widened in surprise as Jacob’s fingers trailed out of his hair and down his cold cheek, the contrast of the heat causing shivers to race up and down his spine.

“You’re an idiot.” Jake chuckled softly, cupping Edward’s cheek.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He could see the fear and insecurity in the vampire’s eyes, and he felt for having some part in putting those emotions there, but Jake just smiled, leaning closer and rubbing his cheek against Edward’s in a pure, soothing, canine move.

“The Original Wolf ended up liking someone else.” Edward whispered, closing his eyes, voice vulnerable.

“I’m not the Original Wolf.” Jacob responded softly, voice gruffer than usual, as his lips trained on that cold skin, beginning to nip his way down the stony jaw towards the long, elegant neck.

Edward whimpered at the sensation, subconsciously craning his neck to grant his partner better access. He leaned in closer, moving without thought between Jake’s thighs as the wolf pulled him closer.

“I only want  _you_.” Jake bit down harder on the curve of Edward’s neck, grinning savagely when the vampire sucked in a rapid breath, his scent growing rapidly musky with arousal, and his fingers clenched at Jake’s shoulders.

His vamp always appreciated a little pain mixed in with his pleasure.

“They ended up dead.” Edward whispered, revealing more and more the doubts and insecurities he’d been hiding deep within him since his return from Romania. “The Original Vampire couldn’t take not being the only one in her love’s heart.”

“We don’t have any problem then.” Jacob announced, beginning to slowly unbutton Edward’s shirt. “You don’t have to share my heart with anyone.” Pulling away from his vampire’s skin, the wolf waited until Edward opened his golden eyes again before meeting that lusty, yet concerned gaze. “I’m not going to make the same mistakes she did.”

Edward looked away.

Jacob reached for his partner’s chin and forced him to look at him. “I love  _you_.” He said forcefully, trying to get the point across clearly. “I  _know_  you’re full of defects and I love every one of them, even if your brooding is completely _insane_  sometimes.”

Edward looked like he didn’t know whether to smile or frown at that.

“I mightn’t have  _Imprinted_  on you, but I  _chose_  you, of my own  _free will_ , and in the end, Ed, that’s worth so much more than any imprinting.” He leaned forward and rested his forehead against that cold one. “I’m not saying I don’t know what the other wolf went through. While you were gone I  _have_  felt attraction for someone else, but I didn’t do anything. I preferred to play dumb because if I had to face it I’d hurt someone I cared a lot about and I didn’t want to do that.”

Ed was still, pulling away so he could look in Jacob’s face.

“Because even if we didn’t  _Imprint_  and even if I  _am_  capable of being attracted to other people, I still  _love_ _you_.” Jacob felt somewhat embarrassed at those words, but he needed to say this, needed Edward to understand. “The reason  _why_  I’d never leave you or be with anyone else is because  _I love you_ , I  _choose_  you, and no destiny or anything is ever going to change that.”

Edward lowered his gaze, and he went paler than usual---which Jacob had discovered some months into dating happened whenever Edward blushed. Unlike humans, who went red, Edward went  _paler_ , and it made the wolf smirk to realize that he had his vamp  _blushing_.

“So you’re not going to ask me to accept some sort of threesome?” Edward finally asked, gaze still lowered.

 _He’s just too cute_.

Grinning, Jake shook his head. “One threesome in the family is enough, at least in  _my_  books.”

Edward grinned, raising his golden gaze. “So I’m not the only one noticing how  _close_  Alice, Bella and Jasper have been getting since we all returned?”

“Who hasn’t?” Jacob wanted to know. “At least, when they finally hook up, people will stop whispering about  _us_. Your family will finally have someone  _else_  to tease.”

Edward chuckled. “And I’d just gotten used to it.”

Observing his boyfriend for a moment, Jake smiled and wrapped his arms around the slenderer male, drawing him close again as he took in a deep whiff of that scent that was purely Edward. “I  _missed_  you, goddammit.” He whispered, pressing his nose to the skin of Edward’s neck and taking in a whiff, his wolf smugly pleased that his scent was once more covering the vampire possessively. “Don’t ever leave me again.”

And then Edward seemed to  _break_.

His lips found Jacob’s furiously,  _needy_.

And unlike all the times in which he’d pulled away to allow them time to get more used to each other again before getting physical, Jacob kissed back with the same amount of ferocity, digging his fingers into Ed’s hair tightly as he kept him captive, taking the kiss deeper.

“ _Jake_ ,” Edward whispered as in one move he’d straddled the wolf’s lap, pressing down on his jutting hard-on, causing them both to moan at the contact.

Hands trailing heavily down the side of Edward’s body, Jacob’s fingers closed over his partner’s hips, pushing him down harder as he began to slowly thrust upwards against him, twin hisses of pleasure escaping their lips mid-kiss.

It’d been  _so long_ …

“ _Jake_ …”

With a single, fluid movement Jacob stood, pulled Edward up with him, and deposited the vampire roughly on the bed Edward had bought soon after going out officially with him. Jake then turned his back on his boyfriend, canine-sharp eyes scanning the room for the blood red material he was in need of.

“Jake?” Edward’s voice was husky and confused, eager yet trying not to push too far.

When he found the scarf Bella had given him to chase away the chill of Forks, Jacob wound the material in his hands and tested its strength before smirking and turning back to a now curious Edward. “Break this, and we stop.” With that semi threat, Jacob crawled onto the bed towards Edward.

Golden eyes widened in shock as the vampire realized what Jacob was planning on doing with that scarf, but he meekly allowed the wolf to tie his wrists together a little too tightly and then push Edward down, tying the rest of the scarf to the headboards.

Both of them knew that with Edward’s vampiric strength he could easily break free of the scarf-handcuffs, could break the  _headboard_ , but Jacob had given an order, and Edward felt his arousal deepening at the feeling of vulnerability as his hands were tied above him.

He and Jacob knew that he wasn’t going to free himself.

Leaning over his body, Jake grinned evilly in a way that caused Edward’s dick to throb painfully before bringing his lips down to the vampire’s cold ones. Edward leaned upwards as much as he could in that position, opening his mouth to his boyfriend’s invasion, gasping for breath when Jacob finally pulled away and began to lick his way down the chiseled jaw and long, elegant neck.

“ _Jake_ …” Edward groaned as Jacob’s tongue glided over his collarbones teasingly, tasting his skin.

Jake murmured appreciatively against the cold, diamond-like skin as he slowly made his way down Edward’s body. His mouth explored every inch of the body that he’d been denied for so many months, going deliberately slow, taking great pleasure from Edward’s agonized whimpers as his lower region twitched desperately for the attention his upper body was receiving.

“Impatient little leech.” Jake chuckled huskily as he ran his tongue up the bride of a rib before lowering it down Edward’s stomach to tease his naval.

“Jacob!” Edward groaned, giving a thrust upwards, trying to get some friction to his now  _agonizingly painful_  hard-on, and yet Jake was position in a way that all Edward thrust against was air. “ _Fuck Jake! Do something already_!” He pulled at his arms.

Jacob noticed this and paused from where he’d been nibbling at the skin right below that perfect little naval. “You break that scarf and I leave you just as you are.”

“But you need this just as much as I do!” Edward had never come so close to whining before in his life.

The wolf began to pull away, as if to prove his point.

“ _All right!”_  Edward snapped, realizing he wasn’t going to win this. “You goddamned--!” But the rest of his sentence faded into a loud moan as Jake bent, slid his hands under the vampire and lifted his hips, engulfing his cock in his mouth.  _“Fuck_!”

Jake chuckled deeply around the cock, causing it to pulsate like crazy and it was all Edward could do to control himself and not tear the whole headboard apart (much less the  _scarf_ ). There was no way he’d be able to survive it if Jake stopped in the middle of  _this_.

Closing his eyes tightly, Edward whimpered as Jake’s tongue slid up from the base of his cock to the tip, his tongue doing a teasing little dance on the mushroom-head before engulfing him once more. The wolf continued to torture him with the pleasure that was enough to bring him to the brink of ecstasy yet was purposely not enough to give him the little shove needed.

“ _Jacob_ …” Edward’s voice was breathy and needy, his cock throbbing viciously in that hot, wicked mouth.

As an answer, the wolf hummed deeply, adding to the vibrations, chuckling when Edward threw back his head and cursed darkly at the sensation.

The message was obvious.

 _Beg_.

And Edward was far too gone to care about dignity. “ _Please! Jacob!_ _ **Please**_!”

He could have  _sworn_  Jacob smirked around his cock before making his movements faster, squeezing his lips tighter against the pulsating cock, and right as Edward was whimpering because it was  _still_  not enough, Jacob’s fingernails bit painfully into his asscheeks, the jolt of the pain causing Edward to throw his head back and holler with agonized pleasure as his hips rocketed upwards in his climax.

The world blurred slightly around the edges and he momentarily only heard static as he continued to cum violently into Jacob’s mouth.

Somehow, he must have blacked out for a second, because the next thing Edward remembered was opening golden eyes to the feel of fingers in his ass and a hand around his cock, pumping him hard again in what seemed like an impossible feat.

A gasp escaped his lips as Jacob’s slicked fingers stroked that place within him that set him crazy, and he thrust into the wolf’s hand with a moan.

“I’d forgotten what a little bitch in heat you are when I touch  _here_.” Jacob chuckled smugly, pressing against  _that_ spot, causing Edward to moan wantonly.

“Jacob  _please_!” And yet he was now begging for something completely different.

Smirking in understanding, the wolf pulled out his slick fingers and moved closer, positioning himself between Edward’s thighs, at his entrance, before sliding his cock deep within with one sure thrust.

 _Fuck_ , Jacob thought, closing his eyes for a moment at the cold that encircled his burning cock, seeming to swallow him whole greedily. The muscles clenched tightly around him deliberately and the wolf hissed as his cock throbbed appreciatively.

“I can’t…won’t be…long…tonight.” Jake warned, eyes still closed. It’d been  _so long_  since he’d been with his vampire, and he was already at his peak with just being inside of him.

“Just  _fuck_  me already, Jake.” Edward sounded both pleased and desperate.

And so he did.

Opening his eyes, Jake watched as he thrust into Edward, curving slightly to hit  _that_  place every time. The vampire beneath him moaned and struggled with his binds but it was a token gesture because they both knew he could easily break them. Jacob knew that Edward still despised himself sometimes for what he was---for how powerful he was, how  _inhuman_ , and as the wolf had guessed, being tied up and at Jacob’s ‘mercy’ was turning the bronze-haired boy on.

 _“Ed…”_  Jacob whispered, feeling himself near. His thrusts grew quicker and he leaned forwards, wrapping his large, calloused fingers around Edward’s erection and beginning to pump him in time to the thrusts.

“Jacob!” Edward cried out at the double stimulation.

They continued to chant each other’s names until the wolf buried himself deeply within his lover with a moan of ecstasy as Edward climaxed as well, both lost to the pleasure that’d been denied them for so long.

“ _Mine_.” Jacob, still lost in the climax, growled. “I chose  _you_.” And with that his wolf surged forwards and the first time since Edward had provoked him into fucking him all those months ago, Jacob leaned over the vampire while still cumming and bit down hard on his shoulder.

Jacob’s teeth punctured the diamond skin easily and blood gushed into his mouth as Edward whimpered in pain and pleasure, the sensation triggering another climax, pushing both over the edge in a new way.

And then it was over.

Sudden exhaustion came over Jake, and he only managed to pull his teeth from that once perfect skin and run his tongue over the bloody marks, feeling Edward tremble slightly at the sensation and offer up more of his shoulder.

Chuckling softly to himself, Jacob pulled out of his boyfriend and collapsed on the side of the bed next to him, barely able to keep his eyes open.

Edward, seeming just as sluggish for some odd reason, turned towards him and laid his head upon the beating of Jacob’s heart and rested his arm around the wolf’s waist, snuggling in. “I love you.” He whispered.

“I love you too.” Jacob answered in a yawn.

He fell asleep before he could realize that for the first time since he’d been sired, Edward fell asleep as well.

Neither noticed the golden glow to Edward’s bite mark, or the entwining, intricate cord of golden light that appeared from it and enwrapped both vampire and wolf, binding them together in a way they wouldn’t even begin to suspect until much later.

No, neither were even awake to realize that changes were happening within them, and that they’d completed one step towards Jacob’s destiny.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Closing the small gap to the door, Leah and Victoria turned to each other, eyes wide. They hadn’t been able to see the golden light, but what they  _had_  seen had left them breathless, and more than a little speechless.

“Wow.” Leah finally spoke, hand over her heart. “That…was… _wow_.”

“I know,  _right_?” Victoria whispered back as they hurried away from Edward’s room. They’d gone up to get the boyfriends to not only interrupt their time alone, but because they wanted to play Ludo and needed two other players----but when they’d peeked in on what was going on inside the room, well, they’d gone stiff as boards and all thought had left them.

“That was actually  _hot_. I thought,” Leah shook her head in wonder. “I thought I’d be  _disgusted_  but,  _whoa_.”

Victoria grinned her agreement.

The girls continued to walk back in silence, Ludo completely forgotten, the world of smex finally opened to their minds.

Leah then turned to Victoria before descending the stairs. “We gotta do that again.”

Victoria grinned. “I thought that was a given. And if we’re caught peeking in, we can say that we were practicing our stealth!”

Sharing a conspirator’s smile, the vampiress and the werewolf descended together side by side, and now that their minds were opened to the male/male appeal, they couldn’t help but wonder what exactly was going on in their brothers’ little mission.


End file.
